Where's the supermarket in this Imperial city?
by Wayne Grant
Summary: When our favorite caped baldy suddenly gets transported to the world of Imperial arms and a corrupt empire, a serious twist of events lead to him joining the most feared assassin group of the land: Night Raid.
1. One Night

A trembling cart was sent off at high speed by two men in an attempt to outspeed the monsters that continued to follow them. The two men, with bullets of sweat and streams of tears dripping down their chins, grit their teeth as they looked forward with nearly paralyzed bodies.

"My children…my wife…Dammit, I 'm too young for this bullshit!"

"One of those monsters could probably destroy a small village. Two could destroy a town. Now, we've got our hands full with three. **Three danger beasts.** Our luck couldn't get any worse, I swear."

"Like I want to know that! I just want to go home, where everything's safe and my kids ar-"

An exceptionally large, flying dragon with crystal-like scales and golden eyes blocked the way of their horses. The dragon was roughly as large as a large house. A massive, segmented creature that resembled a bug and a winged dark scaled wyvern surrounded the three. The creatures, or danger beasts as they would like to call them, roared in unison, prompting the two men to cover their ears.

"We're done for good with this situation. Still…" one of the men stepped down from the wagon and unsheathed his sword for a final attempt to struggle. "Try to find a way into the woods. Maybe you could escape this. I've got myself cornered in hundreds of situations like these before, but I seem to be capable of muddling through."

"But…even you couldn't take on three by yourself…" the other man jumped out of the wagon.

"If this be my last stand…then so be it. My family's gone anyway. Might as well join them" the old man said as he smiled at his colleague. The man shed a tear before running to the forest.

As the man ran through the thick foliage of the forest, a branch made him trip.

"Shit, my ankle's sprained" he exclaimed as he winced in pain. However, he powered through the pain and, though shaken, stood up.

"I…must not yield!" the man said as he took a few steps before the bug like monster, known as an earth dragon, blocked his way. The man's face wrinkled in anger.

"You damn bastards…" he shouted as he took a knife from his pocket. "You think I'll let you end me right here, right now? Sorry, fella, but I can't let you do that"

The massive claw of the danger beast descended on the man, while the man shouted with all his determination to survive for his loved ones, when a splash of blood covered his face.

"Wha-?" the man noticed the bleeding stub where its arm was previously located. The man looked at the rear of the monster and saw a young man with brown hair and green eyes, and he was clad in a casual outfit consisting of a white shirt topped with a beige sweater and dark trousers. He wore leather gloves and boots and wielded a sword.

"That was a close call for you, sir. That's a first class earth dragon for you, and it sounds upset."

The monster raised its other arm and plunged it to the green eyed man, who swiftly leaped to the air. He looked at the danger beast while suspended mid-air and released a swift barrage of slices.

The man landed to the ground and didn't look at the monster, which bled out from the slices the adolescent made. It was as if the boy had come straight out of a shonen manga.

"And it's done" the man said before turning to face the man with a wide grin showcasing his innocent smile. "Are you okay, sir?"

"Sir, thank you for saving me!" the man wept with joy as he, in intense gratitude, burrowed his head to the ground.

"Ah, well then please remember! Soon, you'll be hearing the name 'Tatsumi' echo from the walls of the Imperial capital for generations-"

"Sir, that is not the time for that right now! I beg of you to help my comrade."

"Your comrade?"

"Yes, he was in some trouble somewhere in the south of the forest."

"Oh, then he's probably safe now."

"Wh-what?"

"I'm sure he's safe. After all…" Tatsumi looked at the south part of the forest, where what seems like a massive explosion took place. " **He's there.** "

000

"Gotcha!" the man said as he slashed the wyvern's wing with his sword. However, the other, much larger and more powerful dragon lashed its tail to the man's body.

"I guess this is it, then…" the man thought as he coughed out blood. He was thrown meters across his original position. If he were to land or to hit a tree, his bones would be broken, his organs would fail, he might die.

However, he suddenly felt his body stop. It was as if his back was cushioned by something rubbery, while he saw a white cloth waving from behind. The man was surely saved from the impact to the ground or the tree, but the attack broke his ribs. Due to his weak and fragile body, he felt his consciousness slipping. Before he could allow it to overwhelm him, he took one look at the man who saved him. What was revealed was a face. It was average, simple, **normal**. He was anything but outstanding to the ordinary man. However, to the old man, what he saw was the face of a savior. The bored messiah. _The caped baldy_.

"Who…no, nevermind. Thank you…" he said before falling to his slumber. The bald man laid the man under a nearby tree. "Well, you did your best I guess."

He stood up and faced the wyvern. "Another monster, huh. This one looks a lot tougher than the ones before, though they're nowhere near the ones in my place. Oh well." The wyvern grunted and roared. The bald man placed his pinky finger down his ear as he stared at the danger beast's attempt at scaring him. The danger beast, bewildered by the man's continuous walking towards him and, inadvertently standing its ground, decided it's best not to mingle with the fearless man.

However, the dragon danger beast did not like it. The dragon beast was primarily a dominant creature. Its massive size was unrivaled in the region of the forest. It lead the other danger beasts in the forest, ate the younglings and the weaker creatures, and soared in the sky as the apex predator. Why would it be scared of someone with a chrome dome? The beast roared in anger as it approached the caped baldy at high speed. The bald man looked at it, unimpressed. Noticing this, the dragon evolved itself. Frills grew from its neck. Two larger wings were added to its back. Its tail was now club-like. The danger beast's mouth revealed three more layers of teeth, and two eyes grew from its long head. The growl it made was much deeper, and its golden slit eyes became crimson. Truly, it was what you would call a monster. However…all it took was…

 **ONE PUNCH**

The punch was so strong that the entire head of the danger beast was utterly crushed. The shockwave of the punch not only scattered the flesh of the monster's head throughout 500 meters of the forest, but it also bent some the trees in its direction to a degree while some were completely uprooted and broken.

"I see. So it's still the same. Dammit" the man grit his teeth as his face crumpled in irritation.

Even if the world was different from his own, he at least wanted to meet something different. Something that could take his own attacks. Something that's **strong**.

"Saitama! Hey!" Tatsumi said as he ran to the hero. The man who followed Tatsumi stopped and gazed at the scene filled with the red hodgepodge which previously represented the power of an apex predator. The man could spout no word.

"Aw, you took my kill" Tatsumi shouted as he looked at the beast's corpse. "The guys there could've gotten my popularity higher, too."

"Well, you were far away. Plus, neither of us realized only one would follow the other guy."

"Hmm, you were correct on that. Ah, there's the guy we saved!" Tatsumi pointed to the man.

"Umm, sir, if I could ask…" the man worriedly looked at his surroundings. "Where might my colleague be?"

"Ah, there he is, sleeping like a rock." Saitama lousily pointed to the fellow resting under the tree. "He might've broken some bones. You should look after him."

"Ah!" the man, teary eyed, ran to his partner as he stripped himself of his jacket and used it to as a tourniquet on his chest. "You're okay, old man!"

"Ah, shaddup" the old man, with his eyes still closed, woke in pain when his partner tightened the tourniquet. "Didn't I tell you I could muddle through?"

"Still, that was too reckless. Your ribs are probably broken now. This'll take more than a week."

"Make that more than a month. With my age, my body's getting more fragile each day. Hell, I think some of my injuries today won't even heal completely"

"Don't say that" the man said with an annoyed smile. The old man laughed.

"Still, I think it's time I went and hung up my boots now. This is probably my closest encounter with death for a while."

"Hah, no shit. It took a miracle for you to actually surviving."

"Speaking of miracles…thank you" the old man looked at Saitama, who still wore the deadpan expression on his face. "Your presence and strength completely overwhelmed the danger beasts. If it weren't for you, I would have accepted my death right then and there."

"Oh, it's fine. It's just a hobby, anyway. Well, it was."

"A hobby?" both men said in unison.

"Yeah, I'm Saitama, a professional hero in the hero association."

"Hero…association…"

The two men thought and thought whether that organization was of the Imperial capital's or another nation's, but to no avail.

"Sorry, but we don't know any association for 'heroes'."

"I see."

"That's because Saitama's not from here."

"Wh-what do you mean by that, sir?"

"Yeah. I'm not saying that Saitama's not from this region. I'm saying he's not from this world."

"Eh? What made you say that?" Though both were in shock, the old man rested himself on the tree, while the younger colleague asked.

"Well, when we first met somewhere in the Northern part of the forest, Saitama was walking with no idea where he is. I was protecting another carriage from a danger beast when he came. At first, he asked where he was, despite the intense situation."

"What'd you do?"

"What any normal person would. Call him an idiot and get him to stay out of harm's way. It didn't help though. The danger beast quickly closed the distance between them and…" Tatsumi smiled.

"Let's just say he took care of the situation." Both men looked at Saitama, who picked his nose with a finger.

"Are you okay now?" Saitama asked the man.

"Oh, you can leave us alone now. I believe we got followed by those danger beasts because we advanced too far from our original group. I bet they're looking for us right now."

"I see. We should leave then. See ya." Saitama said as he turned to the direction of the capital and walked.

"W-wait a minute!" the man ran inside the wagon and took out a small chest. "It might not be enough, but…it's our gratitude. Please take it!"

The man opened the chest, revealing five bags of money. He took two and placed them on the hands of his saviors.

"Ah, thanks!" Tatsumi smiled heartily. "I'll be helping you again when I go big in the capital. At last, the dream of every country boy is within my grasp!"

After hearing those words, the man was shaken. "Sir…Please be careful in the capital. Since we're outside the capital, we're a bit more free."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"The danger beasts out here are nothing compared to the people in the capital. Sure, they make it lively, but that place is certainly hiding its stench. They're rotten to the core!"

"I see. Well, that wouldn't stop me anyway. My village needs me. Don't worry, though. As you've seen, I am quite powerful. I can make it there, I swear!" Tatsumi flashed his pearly whites at the man, who returned with a subtle smile. "Goodbye then!"

As the man waved them goodbye, his colleague spoke. "This is unusual."

"What are you talking about?"

"That boy certainly has the capabilities to survive, though his kind heart might be a problem. However, that man…" The old man opened his eye to the direction of the capital, wherein the image of caped baldy's shimmering head could still be seen. "That man is not normal. He's way too strong to be normal."

"Seriously?"

"I witnessed countless people show their potentials. That man is the pinnacle of power. It's like those teigu-wielding fellas we heard rumors of in the inns."

"Perhaps he'll change the Imperial capital with his presence, _for better or for worse._ "

000

" **DAMN, THIS IS AWESOME"** the country boy known as Tatsumi exclaimed. His backpack of necessities was full. His face was gleaming with excitement. The unfamiliar surrounding made his body rich with adrenaline for success and fame. With the incredible view of prosperity, he was sure his goal was to be done imminently.

"If I just make enough money here, my village won't be losing food for generations. I could even buy my own village!" Tatsumi daydreamed of his imaginary success as a general in the army of the capital.

"Yeah, it seems pretty medieval, alright." Saitama said as he looked at his surroundings.

"Eh? Saitama, you think **this** is medieval?" Tatsumi widened his eyes at the baldy's bold remarks.

"Yeah. In my place, this would be a perfect setting for a light novel, where a normal boy gets transported to a fantasy world like this one and becomes a hero."

"Wait, wouldn't that be you?"

"Hmm, good point. However, the main characters of those series usually wanted to be transported. I was pretty satisfied with how things were in my world." Saitama held his chin up as he viewed his surroundings. "My world's technology is much superior than this one's."

"Really? How could you say?" The two talked as they walked on the busy streets of the area.

"Well, we've got high speed vehicles for flying, cellphones, satellites, anime, manga, light novels, and the internet."

"Actually, I've got no clue what you're talking about. I've heard of novels, but a novel made of light? I guess it truly is advanced." Tatsumi scratched his head in embarassment.

"Nah, it's not really made of light. It's just…well…a novel for high schoolers I guess?"

"High school?"

"Nevermind."

"Well, Saitama, I should probably start finding the recruitment center now."

"Is that so? Then I might as well find a supermarket here. I am quite hungry now…"

"There you go again with those fancy words." That moment, Tatsumi had an idea. "Then, we'll meet up by that bridge. Whoever's the least successful today will get to treat the other. How's that sound?"

 _Hmm, this place seems like those weird other world anime I've watched. Well, I don't think I've ever seen a supermarket or deals there._

"Fine. It's a deal" both shook each other's hands and bid a farewell to each other. Just before losing sight of Tatsumi, Saitama noticed him being stalked by a blonde girl with a massive chest.

"Well, it seems he's famous already."

Saitama explored the new environment he was in. The new world truly showed potential. New words, new tastes, new artifact. So many things were different from his world.

"I wish Genos was here." Saitama said while walking through the streets. "It's too troublesome to know this world. I can't ask it to summarize in twenty words, too. Damn."

As he walked, he noticed several people staring at him, yet avoiding his gaze.

"Look, mommy, a weirdo!" a boy with weird clothes said.

"Now, now, child. Don't look at him. You'll get his weirdness." The presumed mother with equally weird clothes said.

"HEY, YOU'RE THE ONES WHO LOOK WEIRD!" Saitama shouted in annoyance. Apparently, shouting back at the people caused quite the commotion, as the lady began to call for help.

"You there." An imperial soldier, whose height and build made him tower everyone, shouted as he approached Saitama. "What were you doing to that lady?"

"What was **I** doing? **They** were the ones saying I was a weirdo."

"It doesn't matter. You are disturbing the peace of the public. You're coming with us."

"But I've only been walking ever since I entered the capital!"

"Oh, so you're even from outside the capital, huh? You haven't paid your entrance taxes. With your attitude and your negligence of the law, you'll have to pay dearly. Or else, if you want, we can settle it in a fight, right here, right now-"

"Okay" Saitama muttered as he sent the man flying to the window of another building with the flick of his wrist.

"The soldiers in this place should lessen their hostility." Saitama muttered as the people stood there in disbelief. Apparently, the Imperial soldier had a high rank and status. He was on patrol when the lady cried out.

"Si-Sir Romus is down!" one of the footsoldiers shouted as he initiated the preparation to attack the offender. "For attacking a soldier of the Imperial capital, you are under arrest!"

 _Crap, I broke a window. How much does that window cost? In any case, it's probably much more than this whole bag of coins. Dammit, I should've been more careful._

"Look, if we could just se-"

"For attacking one of our captains, we will arrest you and have you pay the fine of 100 000 gold coins! If you can't, you'll be executed by the captain's sword."

 _Now, I really don't think this bag contains enough to pay 100 000 gold coins. Maybe I could work my ass off? No way, they won't let me off this so easily. Then what? What should I do?_

"Uhm, maybe we could talk out of this? See, I have enough cash to pay a part of it, but I don't think-"

As he tried to negotiate himself away from the situation, two soldiers supported the captain with a stretcher. The two soldiers stopped by the hand signal of the captain.

"Y-you won't get away…so easily" the man said with a weak voice before coughing. "Arrest him-no, BRING ME HIS HEAD" the man lost his consciousness after delivering his message.

"Yes sir!" the soldiers said before turning their heads back to the caped baldy. However, a strong gust of wind managed to make them cover their eyes.

"Where'd he go?"

"He was here a moment ago"

"Find him!"

The soldiers scattered trying to find the bald man in a yellow jumsuit and a white cape. However, they didn't realize that even if there wasn't a strong wind, they couldn't comprehend the speed he did so.

"Damn, the people here are scary. What they said were right. The danger beasts **are** nothing compared to them. Plus, there're no supermarkets in s-"

Before completing his sentence, Saitama saw the market of the capital. The market was not only different. The prices were incredibly high, thanks to the recession.

"F-Five hundred gold pieces for a loaf of bread? You've got to be kidding." Saitama said as he glared at the prices of the products. "I want to go home."

000

"In the end, I could only rent a room for myself. I tried finding another market that has some good deals, but I guess there aren't today. Still, I found a good spot to buy some fruits that at least _resembled_ bananas, so that's fine." Saitama sighed as he walked to the rendezvous point. "I wonder what Tatsumi did. I bet he's gotten in the army now. He's got skills, anyways. Ah, there he…is"

Saitama looked at Tatsumi sitting on the side of a bridge when a carriage stopped. A lady with a skyblue dress and blonde hair came outside of her carriage and escorted Tatsumi to it.

"Now, I guess I don't have to pay for the meal." Saitama smiled as he returned to the inn. The inn was part restaurant, so it was quite lively in the evening.

"Good evening, sir!" a girl in the waitress uniform of the restaurant greeted Saitama. She had vermillion, bob-cut hair and a cheery face. "Would you like a table?"

"Ah, just a seat."

"Then is the one near the counter good enough, sir."

"Ah, thanks."

Saitama was escorted by the girl to the counter. Saitama seated himself.

"What would you like, sir?" The girl gave Saitama a menu of items.

… _Hmm, these food sound weird. It's like the food from those fancy restaurants that would sell a rice ball for a fortune. Still, though. I don't know anything about the food here._

"Sir, your order?"

"Uhm...just a minute."

"Sir, could it be that you're having a hard time to choose a meal?"

Saitama sighed before relaxing his face. "I guess I am. Sorry, I'm a newcomer to this place and I have absolutely no idea of the food here."

"Oh is that so? Then let me be of service!" the girl exclaimed as she took the card and mentioned some of the items.

"So, we have some great food in the restaurant, all of which our cooked by the cooks fitting the standard of the master of this restaurant. We have fried toads with mushroom herb gravy, Steamed schrofingers, ardevornian fruit, and, our specialty, frog tongue stew. Please choose, tho if I must say…" the girl leaned and whispered to Saitama. "the best one in the list is probably the fried toads with mushroom herb gravy. I'll add some darnuvian stool if you'd like!"

A sweat rolled from Saitama's reflective head.

 _The girl didn't even describe what they are. Talk about service. Isn't stool also called feces in his world? Perhaps it's a delicacy in this one?_

 _No no no, I shouldn't be choosing. The food she recommended are still too expensive. That's right! Food like these are probably worth my whole bag of coins!_

"Uhm, what's your cheapest meal?" Saitama said with an embarassed face.

"Hmm? The cheapest meal, huh…Well…we do have some centipede legs, which makes 10 pieces of silver. Is that good enough?"

"I'll take it then!" Saitama raised his thumb.

"Alright, one plate of centipede legs for the newcomer!" the waitress shouted as she went to the kitchen. Saitama looked at the lively nature of the restaurant.

"Hmm, I wonder if some of these people are staying in this inn."

"Hey, you!" a man shouted before wrapping his hand on Saitama's shoulders. "You seem to be new here, baldy?"

 _Uh, what a touchy guy._

"What do you want?" Saitama asked with his trademark deadpan expression.

"Not much, really. I just want some, you know." The man began to rub his middle and index fingers with his thumb.

"What?"

"Some dough! Cash! Don't you get it, baldy?" the man pounded his fist on the counter. The slam caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant. "I'm hungry and I want food **now**."

"Yeah…sorry. I have no money."

"Whaaaat? You come to this restaurant with no money? Are you sure about that?"the man shouted with a cocky voice.

"Hey, hey, he's here again." The waitresses murmured to each other. "It's been the 2nd night now."

"Really? Why was he here?"

"They say he demanded respect as the brother of a high ranking officer in the army."

' _The army, again?'_ Saitama thought.

"Yeah. Don't you know? Ms. Lucia talked back to him in his first night, and do you know what he did? He had her in a dark alley and…and…."

"OH, ladies, don't stop talking!" the man boisterously laughed as he took a mug of beer from a table. "Why stop talking of my glorious acts!"

The waitresses immediately silenced theirselves. The man, irritated at this silence, went to the counter and pointed to a girl.

"You"

"Eh? Me?" the girl pointed to herself with a pitiful expression. "Please don't, sir, I-" the girl shrieked as the man grabbed her by her cheeks.

"I've taken a liking at you." He sniffed her neck with vigor. "Ahhh you smell delicious, too, young lady. I bet the minister would be proud to have you as his meal!"

"Sir, please spare me!" the girl tried to force the massive hands off her, to no avail.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I think I like you as well. I bet I'll feel muuuuch better than that bitch from the other night."

"S-Sir!" The waitress couldn't fend him off. He held her close and licked her flawless cheeks wet.

"Say, want to-" the man suddenly flew through the window of the restaurant and toward the other window of another building.

"Sorry, she was taking my order first." Saitama said as she looked back at the waitress. "Sorry for the trouble, miss."

"Oh, no, I don't really mind." Saitama said as he went back to his seat. "Is the food ready yet, miss?"

"Ah, just a moment, sir." The girl said as her face lit back once more. She entered the kitchen once more.

 _Damn, two broken windows. I swear, I'm gonna work my ass off to pay all this now. Why should I be so careless?!_

As Saitama pondered on how much he's going to pay, the girl arrived with two platters.

"Here you go! Centipede legs and…" the woman leaned once more to her savior and winked. "I'll give you a treat for saving me back there. Have the specialty of this house!"

"Ah, thanks." Saitama gave a small smile before eating the exotic food of the other world. Surprisingly, the food actually tasted good. Saitama stuffed his stomach with the delicacy and decided it was time to go upstairs.

"Thanks for the food. I'll be sleeping now."

"Oh, sir, wait!" the waitress shouted as she faced him. "Thanks for earlier, again."

"No problem. The guy was getting annoying, anyway."

"My name is Kumi, by the way. What's yours?"

"Saitama…" she giggled. "I see. Then, Saitama, I'll see you around!"

She gave her farewell and proceeded with accompanying her customers. Saitama went to the second floor of the room and slept soundly.

000

"Hey, miss." Saitama said to the inn's caretaker, who was reading a book. "Do you have some newspapers? I really need to find a job now to continue paying."

"Oh, certainly." The lady bent down to the desk, took what she was asked of, and brought it to the baldy. Saitama thanked the lady and immediately tried finding the classified ads. The lady realized this so she made a statement.

"Sir, if you're trying to search the classified ads there for a job, I'm afraid it's nonexistent."

"What?"

"The recession struck so hard, nearly every job position is full. You'd be lucky enough to get a blue collar job alone, nowadays."

"…Seriously?" Saitama's brows deepened further. The lady pointed to a nearby wall with several papers plastered on. "I've got to warn you, though. It's just full of criminals and lost people. Better not try."

"I see." Saitama gazed at the section. It was indeed full of papers. Some were wrinkled, others were torn halfway, and others had such a vauge language that Saitama couldn't even make out a word. However, what would catch any person's attention was three large posters. The word ' **WANTED** ' was written above a picture of the respective criminal, while the words ' **DEAD OR ALIVE** ' and their names and bounties were written below. The three wanted posters showed the image of a short haired girl with an eye patch, a girl with long, Hime-style haircut, and a man with chin length hair.

"Hey there!" a voice gained Saitama's attention. The vermillion-haired girl was back. However, she was now wearing a grey sweater that hugged her body well and a beige skirt in place of her waitress uniform.

"Ah, it's you…" Saitama scratched the back of his bald head. "Who are you again?"

"That's just rude!" the girl said as she pouted. "I'm Kumi. KU-M-I"

"Kumi?"

"Yeah, I'm the waitress you just saved last night. Don't you even remember who you save?"

"Nah, not really."

"Geez." The girl sighed. "Well, that's not what I really wanted to do."

"What?"

"I came to help you, dummy" the girl said with a warm smile. "This is the least I could do for saving me."

"I see. First, who're these guys." Saitama pointed to the three posters.

"Oh, they're assassins."

"Oh?"

"They're called Night Raid for what they're known: attacking at night. Usually, they kill the nobles and high ranking people of the empire."

"Is that so?"

"Hmm, are you planning to take them on for the bounty?" the girl said with a laugh.

"Well, maybe I could…"

"I was kidding. You can't." the girl said. "They're too powerful."

"Really?"

"I know. I witnessed it myself. She was like a gust of wind that came and went. After that, the master of the house was cringing in pain on the floor."

"It's weird of you to say that with a smile on your face, though"

"Well, you're right."

"Well, I guess I should find a job now."

"Hmm, I may know a place."

"Woah, really?"

"Yeah. It's just a book shop, but it pays good."

"Good?"

"Yes, enough to at least feed you a day. Plus, I'm the owner's friend, so I could probably ask him to provide you some food and possibly some shelter in the meanwhile."

"Wow, you're a lifesaver. Thanks." Saitama said with a smile.

"We should go to him now. Think of it as introducing you to your boss."

"Alright then."

000

As the two entered a seemingly normal building from the outside, they noticed a rumbling in the corner of the book shop.

"Eh? What was that?" Saitama said as he looked at the dusty desks with several boxes on top.

"He's probably doing something weird again. Lubbock usually does those things when no one's around."

"Yeah, I don't think I wanna know the details."

"Ah, is there a customer?" a voice said as a green haired, wide grinned man with a goat-eyed head accessory on. However, the green hair and outfit of the man made him look more like a frog than a goat.

" Oh, it's just you, Kumi." The man's expression went from gladness to disappointment in less than a blink of an eye. "I thought it was some big breasted girl I could make out with."

"Geez, Lubbock. We've got the guy I was talking about, after all."

"Really? Oh, please take a seat!" Lubbock said as he took a randomly stacked chair from a corner, dusted it off, and placed it in front of his desk. As Saitama seated himself, Lubbock took the boxes off his desk and seated himself.

"Now then." Lubbock leaned his elbows on the desk and held his hands together. He matched his gesture with a serious expression on his face as he looked at Saitama.

"Do you h-"

"Wait a minute."

Lubbock continued to gaze at Saitama. Specifically, he was gazing at Saitama's head, which directly reflected his own image. He continued to stae at it for minutes before heaving a sigh.

"Are you really worth marrying to Kumi?"

"GEEZ, LUBBOCK" Kumi smacked Lubbock to the table furiously. After doing so, she continued to pound on his shoulder.

"Ah, sorry, sorrry. I was kidding, hey!" Lubbock laughed before assuming a more casual seat by crossing his legs.

"Alright, so Kumi says that your name's Saitama, correct?"

"Yeah. I just returned to the capital yesterday."

"Oh, is that so? Where were you from?"

"Actually, I'm not from here."

"An undisclosed origin? How could I know you're not one of those criminals, then?"

"Well, just as I said, I'm not from here. I was from an-"

"Nah, it's too bothersome to know your origin. You're hired!"

"Eh?" Saitama said with an unsatisfied look before getting congratulated by Kumi and his new boss.

 _This totally isn't like my job interviews. Usually, the job interviews I went through was hell to go through. They kept asking me unnecessary questions like 'what's your plan', 'why should we hire you', things like that. But this…was too easy. This really sounds fishy._

"Wait a minute, isn't it a bit too fast?"

"Not really. Kumi already talked to me about your employment last night. She says you saved her from being violated. Since Kumi's a really close friend of mine, I should at least consider her wishes."

"I see."

"Now that's outta the way, we should get you your clothes. You can't really be running around with that all the time, can you?"

"Yeah…I guess not. Still, my hero suit's comfortable, so I'm keeping it."

"Well, you need to have some clothes at least for living in your house, right?"

"Yeah, I guess a shirt or two is fine."

"Alright then!"

000

"I think this is…a bit too much…"

"No it isn't. On the contrary, it's very needed!" Kumi carried a tower of boxes by herself. "What if I needed new clothes for some party? Plus, my old clothes are quite worn now…"

"Wait, I'm the reason why we're shopping right?"

"Yeah, yeah, your shirt's already bought."

"Still, isn't this too much?"

"Of course it isn't! All girls love clothes. In fact…" Kumi pointed to a nearby cart. If we described the tower she's lifting as a tower, then the one she pointed to was a mountain. " **That** 's too much."

As she pointed to the cart, Saitama noticed a familiar brown haired juvenile.

 _Tatsumi!_

"Ah, could you take what I bought back to my place? I sort of have something to take care of…" Saitama said to Kumi, who had her view completely blocked by the tower of boxes.

"Eh? Talk about chivalry! Do you think it's easy to carry all these?"

"Hmm, good point." Saitama held his chin and quietly analyzed the situation. "Do you have some strings?"

000

"Alright, all done!" Saitama said as he tied the boxes to her body. Saitama gazed at his brilliant idea with a satisfied expression. Kumi, on the other hand, awkwardly stood with her hands straightened and some boxes dangling from it.

"With this, your sight won't be blocked. You can thank me later!"

"Saitama. I don't think this is a good idea."

"Well, all you need to do is bring it back to the book shop, right? This should be enough. I might miss the cart now, so I should get going" Saitama said before running high speed towards the cart, which had already driven a few kilometers away. Fortunately, Saitama's keen sight allowed him to see beyond a normal human's own eyesight.

"Just after I bought him his stuff, he leaves me like this?" Kumi sighed as she walked to Lubbock's place.

000

"…Where am I?" Saitama said as he looked around himself. The sun had set, and the darkness of the forest swallowed everything. The massive trees had prevented the moonlight from entering and getting reflected by the mirror that is Saitama's head. Still, the darkness wasn't an obstruction to Saitama's eyes.

"I think the cart went this way, but I'm not really sure where it went after…"

As Saitama wandered through the forest, he noticed a noise rustling through the leaves of the upper part of the forest.

"Ah" Saitama looked up and saw some beings… **humans** …leaping from branch to branch, just like the ninjas he watched from his Saturday morning anime.

"Hey, isn't that manager?" Saitama said as a green haired man's image fluttered through the darkness of the night.

 _Maybe they know the way out of here…I should follow them._

Saitama followed the group from half a kilometer and ran swiftly. As they began to lower their speeds, Saitama turned from running to walking towards a clearing in the forest. In the middle of the forest was some kind of large mansion with several soldiers guarding it. Well, they _were_ guarding it.

"Huh, what a harsh way to die." Saitama said with apathy at the bloody corpses of the people. It's not that he didn't feel bad for them. It's just that he couldn't do anything to reverse the situation.

As he gazed at the surroundings in search of his acquaintance, he noticed a spark near one of the trees. The spark grew brighter and brighter as he noticed it wasn't a spark from a distance but it was a fiery beam sent to specifically incinerate his forehead.

"Got another one." A girl with pink hair tied to twintails said. "These damn soldiers are all over the place. Though I admit it's good target practice for me, it's just way too easy. Even danger beasts are harder to deal with than these guys."

"Well, Mine, you should know those guys don't even have any imperial arms. Of course you'd have the upper hand."

"Shut up, you perv. Don't think I had forgotten of what you just did back at the hideout."

"Oh, c'mooon that was hours ago!"

"Hey, why are you targeting people's foreheads for no reason?" An unfamiliar voice stated behind them. As they turned around, they were greeted by the man known as Saitama.

"A pinch!" At the sight of the baldy, who was supposed to be her target, Mine leaped from the strings Lubbock had strapped as their platforms and fired her pumpkin at full power. The trees were instantly incinerated, but Saitama wasn't there.

"Where did he-"

"Hey manager, Kumi's probably back at the inn right now. Did she give you the things you asked?"

"Wait, you're that bald guy Kumi-chan introduced!"

"That's just rude. Anyway, she's probably done that, so nevermind"

"Hey, wa-" before Lubbock could finish his words, the hero had already run inside the mansion grounds.

"I'll take care of him, Lubbock." Mine said as she aimed at Saitama once more. However, Lubbock held her pumpkin and shook his head.

"No, I don't think the guy's gonna do anything I shouldn't expect. After all, he's an outsider. Let's just be cautious."

"Ah, Tatsumi!" Saitama shouted when the brown haired teen ran towards a guard and the girl from before. Tatsumi continued running, as he was too confused by the happenings in the manor.

"Dammit, why is this happening?" Tatsumi shouted as he cussed some more.

"Tatsumi, cussing won't help. We need to reach the storage before they arrive." The guard shouted back as he desperately kept watch of his master.

"They? Do you mean…"

"Yes. They're…"

Before the man could finish what he says, a dark shadow leapt towards the girl's direction. The dark shadow was so fast, the girl and the man could not comprehend it coming. The man continued running when he noticed blood dripping from his neck. As he saw the blood, a sudden pain overwhelmed him, causing him to convulse and eventually paralyze to the ground. The shadow went on to the girl, who was so powerless she could only cry for help. However, Tatsumi's keen eyesight trained by his adventures against the danger beasts allowed him to repel the blade of the entity. The entity retreated a few meters away to regain its composure.

"What was that?" Tatsumi said as the shadow leaped back and stood on a spot. From a dark, cloudy entity, the firgure slowly formed to show the image of a woman with jet black hair and clad in a black longcoat, collared vest, skirt, and a red tie. However, what seemed to make her distinct from any girl in the streets was her eyes. Her eyes were indeed human, but they gave off a bestial feeling as well. It was predatory. If one were to look at her eyes, they would instantly paralyze in fear, as if they suddenly became prey to a sharp toothed carnivore. Indeed, Tatsumi was warned by his own instincts as he met the crimson red eyes of an assassin in the glowing light of the moon.

"Get out of the way" the woman said as she wielded in her hands what would be known as a Samurai sword or katana to you readers.

"No. No way will I let someone like Aria be killed by the likes of you…you murderers!" Tatsumi shouted defiantly as he held his sword in front.

"Fine. I shall eliminate you." The girl said almost nonchalantly. The two gazed at each other before running and exchanging a couple of swings. Well, most of the swings was from Tatsumi. The assassin parried and dodged the strikes by jumping to the air and lightly stepping on him in order to throw him off balance.

She went forth and scraped Tatsumi's torso, making Aria shriek in fear. However, Tatsumi managed to stand up. "That won't hurt me. I've got the whole village by my side. I wouldn't get killed without fulfilling my promise." The country boy took out some sort of figure representing his people.

"Kill." The assassin said in the same manner as her first line before advancing towards her enemy. Tatsumi tried to reason out why she shouldn't do so through Aria's innocence. Of course, this naïve effort won't affect an experienced assassin. Again, the assassin's speed was too much for Tatsumi. Her blade was already a centimeter near his neck. It's impossible to avoid it.

However, before she could do so, a cloud of dust arrived and covered the area. As the dust subsided, a bald man in a weird suit and a lady with beast-like features were present in the scene.

"That was close. You could have gotten your neck grazed, Tatsumi." Saitama held Tatsumi's vest like he was a plastic bag from the grocery store.

"S-Saitama? Why are you here?" Tatsumi said as Saitama allowed him to stand back on his feet.

"Well, I was going to inform you of the girl that was following you from back when we first entered the Imperial capital, but I guess we speak of the devil." Saitama said with his trademark nonchalance before pointing to the girl with the bestial features. "Though she does look a bit different. Is she in some cosplay?"

"E-eeeeh? She's…She's that boobs girl who swindled me!" Tatsumi said with an air of anger.

"That's right~ I'm the beauty you got for your first time, right?" the girl said before winking at Tatsumi, making him blush.

"I see. Then I shouldn't have bothered following then…" Saitama said as he turned around to leave.

"Wait, that's not true! It's a misunderstanding."

"Ah, oh yeah." Saitama said as he looked back at the girl. "Why are you killing people."

At this statement, Tatsumi looked back at the lady.

"I see. You were talking about innocence, weren't you? Then-" the lady went to the storehouse and punched the doors open, giving everyone the full view of the structure's interior. "Look clearly and don't falter. This is the 'innocence' you speak of."

Everyone's gazes were met by horrifying bodies, scourged, tortured, and torn, hanging from the ceiling just like you would imagine in a livestock slaughterhouse. Corpses aside from the ones on the ceiling were cleanly organized by cages and cells. The putrid smell of the storage was not limited to those of the bodies. No, they also had the scent of chemicals. Poison, to be exact. Some bodies were also laid down on tables, like patients currently in the process of surgery. Beside them are tables with a cloth and various instruments of torture cleanly laid out, just like the scalpel of a surgeon. If one were to see this, it would seem like a morgue of dead gladiators fresh from battle. The wounds on this one, however, were caused by no less the masters of the house. They were _experimenting_ on live specimen.

"These people are also from the countryside. This family use illustrious promises to lure you in, like moths to a flame. After giving good first impressions, they'll torture you and play with your insides for no reason until you're broken. This is the disturbing truth behind all those."

As Tatsumi gazed at the gruesome scene, his eyes widened as he noticed a familiar face. The face of a friend revealed itself to him.

"S-Sayo…" Tatsumi tried to reach out to her. He called her by her name multiple times. It was too late.

"One of your friends, huh." Leone said before walking towards the escaping Aria and grasping her by her head. "Trying to run away, rich girl?"

"They…did this?"

"Didn't you think it was weird? The guards were always speaking in an undertone and were paranoid. That's enough evidence to know that they're just as guilty as _these_ scum."

"Not really. They could have been forced to work, you know?" Saitama interrupted. "That's not really a reasonable way to kill someone."

"…Who's the baldy?"

"OH MY GOD" Saitama, finally breaking down from the taunts since day 1, started to grit his teeth in anger.

"T-Tatsumi…" a voice said from one of the cells. It was Ieyasu, Tatsumi's friend. He was not as battered as their friend, Sayo, but he had sore spots all over his body.

Tatsumi looked at his friend with shock and horror. He, along with his two friends, went to the capital in a desperate effort to help out his poverty-stricken village. Only he remained unscathed.

"That girl…she…she **tricked** us. We ate dinner one day and the next thing we knew was…was…" Ieyasu said before breaking down in tears. "That girl…that **bitch** …SHE TORTURED HER TO DEATH"

"My friends had to go through all that…because of **you**." Tatsumi clenched his fist without looking at the girl.

"Wh-what the hell is wrong with that?" the girl grit her teeth before shoving away the beast lady.

" **You're all worthless, pathetic pieces of shit from the countryside, of course I could do anything to you. Shouldn't you consider repaying us with your bodies like that, after all we did for you? We fed you, clothed you, brought you shelter to the cold atmosphere, it's understandable we could do this to you hicks! That girl had the silkiest hair I've ever seen. Shouldn't I be fairer than you filthy livestock? YOU DESERVE TO SUFFER. ESPECIALLY HER-** " Before the girl could end her long insult, or worldview in her case, a quick chop to the nape sent her down the ground, done by none other than Saitama.

"These spoiled kids should really be taught a lesson." Saitama looked at Aria, who felt her energy completely drained from her. "Listen. No one really stands above you or anything. Sure, you may have cash, but that's it. If these people actually fought back, and your back hits the wall, wouldn't you be completely overwhelmed?"

"It's no use, baldy." the beast girl stated. "She's a complete monster incapable of changing anymore."

"Really? I don't think so. Sure, she's a spoiled brat, but all she needs is a spanking like all kids do. After that, they won't fight back. I've seen real monsters that lost their humanity. These people are just narcissistic people with power, but still they're people, nonetheless."

"Then, you're in our way" the katana girl said before preparing to slice off the girl.

"Sorry, but I can't let you kill a brat." Saitama noticed Tatsumi walking towards the girl with the intent to kill.

"Wait, you want to kill her too?"

"She deserves it." Tatsumi said before leaping and striking down his short sword, which was easily caught by Saitama's hand.

"Let go, Saitama!"

"What's with you guys? She isn't a monster. She's still human."

"No way will I let her get through with killing my…my friends!" Tatsumi tried to hit Saitama, but Saitama, wanting not to cause any extra expenses to the acquaintance, dodged the strikes.

"This is taking too long. I will eliminate." Akame said as she used her inhuman speed to deal with Saitama with her one-hit-kill sword.

"Wh-what's going on?" the beast girl, Leone, said as she witnessed for the very first time someone dodge Akame's sword without even sweating. "This bald guy's good. He's actually dodging the sword instead of parrying them with his fists. However, Akame looks concentrated in her attacks. Each attack of hers is aiming to at least scrape him. But…up til now, she hasn't taken this long to take on a commoner. Is he even a commoner? What is going on? No, wait."

As she concentrated more on Saitama, she began to realize a horrifying fact. Her instincts were all heightened and alert, as if she was on the verge of falling to oblivion. That power wasn't even directed to her, and yet it managed to make her paralyzed right on the spot. _There was no way he could be a commoner._

Akame was concentrated and focused in both stance and attacks. However, in truth, she was feeling fear and inferior. For Akame, it was completely incomprehensible. She never sundered against even the most intimidating men from her assassinating days or the empire's elites. _This guy is definitely different_. Not one of her attacks were even landing. Even if she tried changing directions, leaping from one place to another, and changing from one technique to another, she couldn't break his defense. The man looked like he had hundreds of openings to her, and yet she couldn't take him down. Her speed was being outmatched. The man isn't even intimidated. He's just _looking_ at her try, like an adult watching a kid struggle in a fight between them. It doesn't look like a fight to her. She's being _played_ with. It was very obvious the person was hiding his true strength, and yet she was already having trouble.

"Im…possible…" Akame leaped a few meters across Saitama, who stood there motionless. Akame was surely fatigue-stricken, as seen with her sweating profusely and breathing deeply, like an obese person engaging in a marathon. Except the obese person is instead an incredibly skilled assassin and the marathon is trying to kill some weirdo.

"Damn, I almost broke that sword a couple of times." Saitama said as he looked at the sword wielding opponent. "That sure looks expensive."

Akame raised her sword. "This is the Murasame sword. One wound it makes on your body can kill you. It is a genuine Imperial arm. What is your Imperial arm, Saitama?" Akame had already learned of Saitama's name when Tatsumi called out to him more than once.

"Imperial arms? If you're talking about weapons, I've got none."

"It's impossible for someone as strong as you to have no Imperial arm. Perhaps it's that skin helmet, or some liquid-based Imperial arms you drank?"

"THIS IS NOT A SKIN HELMET, I'M JUST BALD." Saitama said before calming himself. "There's really no special reason other than training."

"I trained as well, but in no way did I reach your calibre." Saitama raised his brow before remembering his own absurd training.

"Hmm, maybe you just didn't try as much?"

"I see. Will you really not let us kill her, then?" Akame asked as she pointed to the girl.

"Nope."

"I see, then we shall retreat." Akame said before turning and walking away.

As Akame walked away, she noticed Leone standing there, gazing at Saitama while shaking in fear.

"Leone. Leone?" Akame said as she tapped her friend. Leone, upon being shaken from her stasis, impulsively backed away a few meters. "Leone, what's the matter?"

"Th-that man…Even if we the whole Night Raid ganged up on him, he'll win."

"I see. So you've noticed that strange feeling as well."

"Yes, except what I'm feeling is ten times more intense than yours because of my predator instincts."

"I see.I tried everything on him, yet he could dodge them all. Honestly, my body's already at its limit now." Akame said as she looked at her trembling hand. She clenched it before moving towards the forest.

"Ah, you're going with us, Tatsumi."

"No, I won't. Not until I've killed that bitch." Leone held Tatsumi by his shoulders as she tried to vigorously break through her hold to go to Aria.

"T-Tatsumi…" Ieyasu said before coughing out blood and groveling to the floor. Tatsumi, remembering his friend's status, immediately broke the cell and went to his aid.

"D-dammit, Tatsumi…" Ieyasu smiled despite the pain creeping in every nook and cranny of his body.

"He's dying." Akame said as she inspected Ieyasu's body from afar. "He's in the final stages of Lubora. The mistress of the house wrote of it extensively in her journals."

"Sayo really _wasn't_ like a girl at all. She was too badass, not giving up despite that bitch's attempts." Ieyasu muttered up the tiny bit of strength left from the _inhuman_ human experiments done to him."Then…the mighty Ieyasu will also follow her example and…keep…it…real"

As Ieyasu's lifeless hand fell to the ground, Tatsumi grit his teeth before being pulled away by the beautiful, beastly Leone.

"Let go, I still have the score to settle with that girl…"

"Haven't you seen? That guy won't let you. If Akame-chan, our best girl can't, I'll bet anyone else couldn't as well." Leone said before grinning from ear to ear. "Now, I saw when you tried to kill her that you didn't even hesitate. Now **that's** what we want: talented, young men who want justice served in this corrupt city!"

"Eeeeh? But I didn't even _say_ I was going to joi- Hey, wait!" Leone transferred Tatsumi's body from carrying him beside her waist to her shoulder, like an abduction.

"Akame." Mine said as soon as they reached them. "That girl…she's not dead yet."

"Yes. As much as I try to kill her, she won't. He won't let me."

"A baldy…huh."

"Eh? Someone who Akame-chan can't kill? Seems dangerous." Bulat, the muscular, armored man said as he gazed at the girl and her protector. "Should we-"

"No. He is someone beyond our capabilities. We shouldn't be fighting someone like him." Leone said with fear still making her spine shiver in fear.

"Yeah, we noticed that a while back." Lubbock dropped from the trees. "I actually recruited him to work as a book keeper in my library. Well, I did't think he would be anyone more than a poor weirdo, though. Haha!"

"In any case, he seems like someone we couldn't control once he gets controlled by the empire. We need to have him in our side." Mine noticed Tatsumi, who stopped wiggling due to his flushed face meeting the breasts of Leone. "Wait, who the hell is he?"

"Oh, he'll be part of us now. He's got the justice and the skills, too!" Leone said as her cheerful personality seemingly returned.

"HEEEY,DON'T DECIDE ON WHAT OTHERS WANT TO DO" Tatsumi yelled.

"Oh, don't worry. We'll make sure to care for you and _enhance_ your body~~" Bulat said to the rather confused Tatsumi.

After the strange night, the assassin group Night Raid left the mission and escaped to the forests outside the Capital. Meanwhile, Saitama looked at the girl and the mess that the assassin group had created.

"Crap, this is bad. They might frame me as the one who killed the girl's parents. I need to get out of here." Saitama said before focusing his vision on the girl. "Before that, what should I do with this stuck up brat." After a few moments of silence in thinking, a carriage disturbed the bloodied mansion.

"Ah, shit. I'll just think of it in the way." Saitama took the girl over his shoulders and ran to the wilderness, leaving the mansion of a family of sadists in peace.

000

"Whe-Where am I?" the girl said as she laid under the morning sky. The darkness of the night was slowly being replaced by the vibrant orange light of the rising sun. The clouds suspended on the skies looked like the soft feathers of a free bird.

The girl stood up from the ground and noticed that she was standing in a clearing in the forest near a stream.

"Hey, rich girl, you awake?" a tanned, fit man wearing thick clothes said to her. "I don't think this is a place for you to rest in."

"What are you talking about? I woke up already here."

"Is that so? I thought you asked that bald guy to lay you here."

"Bald guy? You mean that weirdo with the cape?"

"Yep. He seemed like an aloof but nice man."

"Where'd he go?"

"Are you sure you know that guy? It doesn't look like you even know this pla-"

"Where is he?" Aria shouted, catching the man offguard.

"Woah there, is he your boyfriend or something?"

"As if!"

"Fine, fine. He went to get some fishes. He borrowed my fishing rod and went down the stream."

Aria tried to stand, but it seems her body was still battered from the chop of Saitama. "Better take it easy, rich girl. You don't look too good."

As the man supported the girl to a nearby tree, she shrugged him off.

"Fuck off!" Aria hissed at the man, who backed away slowly. "I don't need anyone like you to add to my problems"

"Fine, I'll just let the bald guy get through with you then!" the man, in response, hissed back and left to a trail, presumably to a nearby village.

 _Damn that guy. Doesn't he think someone like me should be praised? How dare he not serve me! He even mocked me with a petty nickname. After what they did to mother…father…those scum should-_

As Aria grit her teeth, a basket with only three fishes fell in front of her. She looked up and saw her saving figure.

"So you're awake, huh."

Saitama looked rather irritated and his clothes were damp. His cape was dripping wet. He went to a nearby tree and took a few dead branches out of it.

"I think I should use the skills I learned from my days as a boy scout." Saitama said as he took a piece of wood and planted it on another piece. As he tried rubbing the piece of wood to the other by spinning it, the stick broke.

"I guess another."

He tried once more. And again. And again. And again.

"What the hell is with this wood?" Saitama raised his brow as he took another, more durable stick.

"Alright, then I should go serious now." He placed the wood on the other once more, but this time his facial expressions were truly serious.

"Super moves: Serious Series"

" **Serious fire starting** "

Saitama began spinning the durable stick so fast, that the wood he was rubbing on, which was actually wet from the start, dried out in an instant. After only a few milliseconds, the fire was brighter than ever.

"I guess that worked." Saitama said with a satisfied smirk on his face after wiping his brow with his glove.

"Well, now that that's settled…" Saitama looked at Aria, who had her hair completely blown to an awkward style. In fact, the environment looked a lot…different.

"Hmm, what happened?"

"When you…started the fire-" Aria had wide eyes before she burst to laugher as Saitama faced her. Saitama had his head blackened by the black ashes on his gloves. The girl laughed boisterously, as if she had never laughed in her life.

"What's happening? Are you really broken after all?"

"No, no, that!" Aria pointed to his head, which, added with the glossy surface the ash created, made his head look like a dark bowling bowl.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm bald. So what." Saitama, used to the insults of everyone who perceives his head, responded with as much animosity as he could.

"No, have you ever looked at the mirror yet?" the girl tried covering her laughing face, but she couldn't.

Saitama looked for any water puddles he made after fishing. Apparently, his serious movements were so fast, the blast of wind was enough to change the environment like uproot some plants and make rotting logs fly to the air, as well as drying out the area by a radius. Aria was also affected by the winds. It made her hair stick out in an awkward direction.

Saitama looked at his glove and noticed the ashes of the wood. He clicked his tongue. "What a rotten kid. You could've informed me, you know?"

"Where's the fun in that? You low lives are pretty pathetic sometimes!"

"Hmm, you're a bit harsher now, huh?" Saitama took some sticks and impaled the fishes before putting them near the fire.

"Why shouldn't I? They're all dead, and you saw my true nature, too. There's no reason I shouldn-" Aria stopped as she felt a slight tap to the head.

"Yeah, I heard you before. You think people are cattle, right?"

"Tsk, so what if I do?" Aria muttered as she pouted.

"Well, cattle or not, **you wouldn't be productive to society like that**."

"…You're shitting me, right?" Aria deadpanned at Saitama, who looked serious.

"If you're gonna be like that all your life, then society will despise you. No one likes a brat."

"I don't care if they like me or not. As long as I do what I want as a higher being, I'm fine."

"Check it." Saitama grabbed the girl by the head, making her struggle in removing his hand. "See? You can't even do a thing without it."

"Dammit, Y-yes I could…" She continued to struggle by trying to wiggle the hand off, to no avail. Eventually, to avoid hurting her, Saitama had to release her, making her tumble to a nearby tree.

"No you can't. You're not strong enough."

"Strong? Strong? I don't need to be stronger than you. I'm richer than you, and that alone makes me superior to you!" Aria shouted as she tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Don't you understand? I'm a noble. **A damn noble!** Cattle like you should know your place. Mother and father always said that people like us are always destined for greatness. How dare you…you… **filthy commoners** to outright murder them."

"Hey, it wasn't me who killed them!" Saitama said as he waved his hand to assure her. "Anyways, I don't care if you are a noble or a high ranking member or anything. If you can't have healthy relationships with people, you'll always end up in ruins. Eventually, you'll end up running out of money and having to get a job. If you have those ideas, no one will hire you and you'll end up having trouble with a bunch of part-time jobs."

"Part-time…jobs?"

"Yeah. You'll have to be a cashier or join construction sites. The job's shit but hey, it pays."

"I couldn't care less of the work of you commoners. I could just claim my fortune from my parents."

"Damn, weren't you listening?" Saitama sighed. "Anyways, I'm hungry. Gotta go."

"I…I don't even know where I am now."

"Well, you say you're a noble, right? I bet you could find it on your own." Saitama waved his cape as he turned around. "By the way, you should learn from that hunter. He's a good guy."

"Wa-Wait…" Before she could grab Saitama's cape, Saitama leaped to the sky, sending her away from the wind pressure.

"That…damn…baldy" She shouted as she flew meters away before being caught by a man. The hunter caught her, but he was also thrown away to a nearby tree.

"What was that, a danger beast?" The hunter, distraught by the powerful pressure, shouted as he acted as a cushion for Aria.

"Let go, you commoner!" the girl shouted as she tried standing. However, like the common trope of the anime world, she sprained her ankle, possibly because of Saitama, and fell back down. "Dammit."

"What's up, rich girl?" The hunter approached her, but she continued to strive and stand, signaling him to stop in his stracks. "Don't come. I could…do this…"

She continued to try, but she eventually fell back. "You can't solve your problems with just willpower, you know?"

"Shut up! You low life cattle shouldn't reprimand me! I'm a noble, you know. I could **buy** your whole village."

"Yeah, but with that attitude, you shouldn't survive in here. If that's what you say, then…"

The hunter stood and walked away from her.

"Where are you going?"

"You're rich enough, right? You should just pay yourself to stand up then." The man smirked as he moved, never looking back at her. "And if there's a danger beast or something, bribe him not to!" He began to boisterously laugh, making the girl grit her teeth in anger.

"You… **I swear, if I get out of this bullshit, you're going to have your skin peeled, your mouth flooded with chemicals,…** " She continued to rant with hundreds of torturing methods despite her target escaping with a hearty laugh.

000

"Took you long enough to shut."

"Shut up."

Aria was being carried in a backpack carry as the hunter held his quota meat in a burlap sack.

"Rich girls like you should really think before you say. You don't think what you said hurt?"

"Yeah, it **should**. It's the truth, after all."

"Yeah, and you're a bitch. That's the truth as well."

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

As the two arrived at the village, a few villagers greeted the man.

"How's it hanging, Hiro?" A hunter said as he raised his hut's windows.

"Plenty of game today?" An elderly lady said as she held a basket full of herbs.

"Ah, not much, really. It's as if there are danger beasts nearby, so please be aware." The hunter, Hiro, shouted with a smile on his face. The community was incredibly alien to Aria. Yes, she could hear a few greetings here and there by the guards in her mansion, as well as the store clerks in the capital, but she knew they were merely empty expressions brought by jobs. The smiles here were more genuine.

"Hey, hey, what did you get today?" a group of kids approached Hiro. Apparently, he was really famous in the village, which wasn't really that far from the capital. Rather, the village was in poverty like Tatsumi's village, and so the empire has less influence.

"A few birdies for you lot, and I've brought you some cool rocks I found!" Hiro said cheerfully with his thumbs up and a wink to his fans, who had sparkling eyes. Hiro took his burlap sack, which was stringed to his waist, opened it, and took a few fake crystals he had found. In truth, they were crystalized feces of a certain danger beast that, when applied enough heat and pressure, will become more valuable.

"Wooow" the children shouted with glee before running away with Hiro's gifts. "Now we've got more toys for our games! Thanks, Hiro!"

"Ah, those kids sure are fun to watch."

"That was rather rude, giving ignorant kids some useless crap like that."

"Hey, **that** is rude."

"Be that as it may, it is the truth."

"Well, _be that as it may_ , you're **still** rude. Who cares if it's worthless. It's the thought that counts, right? At least they'll have fun."

"Yeah, but they'll just end up like my toys if things go like this. Eventually, one of my kind will find them and **play** with them, like I did."

"Sheesh, can you stand **not** to talk about death, torture, or anything not pleasing to the ears?"

"As long as I remain superior, then it's all good-" As they conversed, a tremor occurred.

"Dammit, what the hell could that be?" Hiro shouted before running towards the village chief's house.

"Village chief!" Hiro shouted as he entered the house. It was rather large as it acted as the community center. The house, which was in the middle of the village, had no corners. It looks quite ancient, as it had tapestry that gave the image that it was centuries old, and the clay walls of it had so many cracks that it wouldn't be surprising if it had been destroyed and rebuilt a hundred times in the past.

"What is it, Hiro?" the village chief was an old man in his eighties with thick clothes adorned by colorful ceremonial beads, feathers from rare birds, dark crimson leather and white fur from danger beasts long gone. Beside the man was another woman with the same age as the man, only the woman was adorned with the opposite spectrum. She had white, silky clothes with sky blue fur.

"Please, take care of this girl." Hiro said as he placed the girl down. "Have you felt the tremor just now?"

"Yes. The wives of the community have already gathered within the shelter. The husbands are preparing the weapons."

"Indeed? Then I must make haste." Hiro shouted as he went to another clay hut. He exited the hut with a variety of weapons and a subtle armor for defense. He went to an unspecified location before the women of the village sealed the windows shut.

"Are you okay, miss?" The village chief inspected Aria's foot. "Thank the gods, it's just a sprain."

"Why is everyone in a panic?" the rich girl asked loudly, before being silenced by the village chief's wife.

"It's not safe to be soi loud, little girl. Please don't shout too much. They can hear you."

"They?"

"Yes, the danger beasts in the area have been increasing in population recently. We've been waiting for the capital's help for ages, but since assassins killed the one previously in charge of our village, the situation's been worse."

"You mean that guy?"

"No, I meant the empire's lackey. We allowed him to do as he pleased in the area, so that he'll protect our lands from the monsters. We gave him our women, our crops, our water, and he gladly accepted it. However, when he got killed in a visit by night raid, everything went downhill."

"I wouldn't say he's a very good man." The village chief said. "I could say it's a rather sad thought to offer our virgins to him, but we couldn't help it. He ordered us to do it as a sacrfice to protect us. We had no choice."

"Often, girls like your age would be picked off and sent to him for his 'inspections'. We don't know what happens in his chateau, but in the end of the day, the girls would be quivering in fear. Some weren't even able to return to their homes."

 _Heh, I bet those bitches loved the guy so much, they wanted to spend their lives in his servitude. Hell, I won't even be surprised if_ _ **all**_ _the women in this town once became slaves to that guy. Hehe, props to him. Now I stand out as a beautiful, pure and virgin gir-_

A powerful, large danger beast broke a wall of the village chief's home. The danger beast was several meters taller than the house itself, and the beast's exoskeleton gave the impression that it wore it as alternative armor to serve his purpose. The beast's claws were massive and dark. If one person was pounded by them, their bones would be ground. The monster had a rather bulbous and sharp part on the end of its tail.

"A-a boulder scorpion!" The village chief shouted before taking his wife and Aria and running away. However, the monster shoved its claw. It didn't reach the man, but the air pressure alone made him fly towards another section of the house.

"Dear!" the wife shouted as she approached her husband. However, she did not realize that the monster began to approach Aria.

"St-Stay away, beast!" Aria shouted as she began to crawl away from the monster.

 _Dammit, I might've escaped Night Raid, but this monster has no conscience. This is…_

"…impossible." The girl suddenly cracked a laugh and faced the beast by standing with her good foot. "I guess this is the end!" She shouted as she took a piece of wood and tried to attack the monster. She merely fell facefirst in a very humiliating manner.

The monster raised its leg, and stomped at the girl. However, the monster had noticed that the girl was gone.

"That was a very funny side of you, rich girl." The hunter whispered. Aria opened her eyes. She was being carried in a princess-like manner by the man he had called a "commoner".

"Very funny. It's good that I had saved you from that scorpion though. You could've become juice, damn." The man wore a very innocent smile on his face, as if it was not a grave situation. Aria gazed at him before breaking down and crying.

 _How did it end up like this? Why does a commoner suddenly look so…so_ _ **trustworthy**_ _._

"Woah, what the hell did I do wrong? I **saved** you, you know."

"Yes, I know." Aria said as she wiped the tears on the cheeks of her face. "I just…I don't really know. Just… **thanks**."

Hiro was flustered and taken aback, before he resumed his ever cheerful smile. "You know, if you wore that face all the time, I bet you'd be the idol of the kids here"

Hiro jumped from the tower and attacked the invulnerable shell of the monster.

"FOR THE VILLAGE!" he shouted as he attacked in every possible weak point. As Aria gazed at the man do his best and risk his life, more of the village's husbands joined him. The village chief, who was supported by his wife, led the attack on a native ox.

 _When did I love to torture these people. These people who only do their best to protect their own. These people who want peace for not only themselves but everyone else._ _ **These people who shine the brightest in the darkness.**_

As she contemplated on these thoughts, she stood on the roof which she was left on by the hunter. She watched as the villagers did everything they could. She watched them struggle to kill the great threat to their safety. She smiled before freefalling to the debris below.

"Ah, you almost fell there." She was caught midair by a red glove.

"That voice…you're-" Before she could finish what she was saying, she was dropped back to the dusty ground.

She sat back up and looked around, seeing no one else again.

"That baldy…"

As Saitama walked to the monster, who flicked off the soldiers with ease, the women of the village cried out.

"Don't go!"

"You'll be killed!"

"Let the others handle it! We can't afford to lose more!"

Saitama dismissed these comments, as he knew they would only serve to raise his hopes up.

As he approached the monster, men were littered everywhere like scraps. They looked injured and some were bleeding profusely.

"You there! Don't go nearer!" The village chief shouted as he prepared to throw his spear, though his arm strength wasn't enough to lift it. "DON'T, DAMMIT"

As Saitama approached, the monster noticed him and screeched. It approached him with incredible intent to kill.

And just as it had started, it had ended.

Within less than a fraction of a second, the invulnerable danger beast reaching meters into the air, and built with a terrifying form and structure that it could decimate armies within moments, was instantly a piece of flesh with a cylindrical hole in its body.

"Did that take care of my debt? The food was really good, so I wanted to repay you with some cash I collected ever since I came here."

"You…" Hiro looked with disbelief with everyone else. The mediocre man killed a powerful beast.

"You did well, friend." The village chief said with a pleasant smile on his face. "You didn't just repay your debt. You returned it to us a hundred-fold. Thank you."

"Well, that's a bit too much, but thanks." As Saitama looked at him, he noticed Aria, who crawled towards him in an attempt to not miss him again.

"Ah, and consider it as payment for taking care of that girl, too. She has quite the antisocial disorder but, if you get to care for her, maybe she could be a productive person in society too."

"Yes, we will take care of her. Even without your help, we would still tend to her like she's ours. After all, it's all thanks to god that we all live. We're just here to give his blessings back to those who need it."

"Thanks." Saitama said before he walked towards the girl.

"I'm leaving you now, for sure."

"What the hell? You just returned."

"Yeah, but I am quite tired after that night. I haven't even slept yet." Saitama said as he scratched his head while thinking of a good sleep in his room. "Anyways, you saw what happened, right? You probably saw how those guys dealt with the monster."

 _No kidding. Those guys were completely risking their lives to kill that danger beast._

"Well, this is why you shouldn't have such a rotten personality. If you end up in that situation again, you'd probably be dead."

"Yeah, I've learned that already. Maybe I shouldn't have such an opinion on them. Well…they did save my ass."

"Yeah, well, I've gotta go. Make sure you don't trouble these guys. Their probably the only ones capable of tolerating your true personality."

"That so?"

"Yeah." Saitama said before leaving so fast no one saw him.

"Eh? Where's the bald guy?" Hiro said. "He actually saved our village…twice now. We better give him a feast or something!"

"I don't think that's necessary." Aria said as she showed a subtle smirk. "I bet he's not the type to accept such extravagant rewards. Maybe he just needs your appreciation…your gratitude.

000

"What the hell?" Saitama said as he looked at the number of people in front of the inn's bulletin board. "What's with this huge number of people? A new wanted criminal, perhaps?"

Saitama approached the board and began to notice a few details.

"I guess I was right. A wanted criminal's on the loose again. I wonder if I could catch him or something. I do need the extra cash."

As Saitama went nearer to the poster, he noticed something.

"A curve? No, no, is that a head?"

Saitama squinted his eyes in an effort to see who it was, before being pulled back by a mysterious person.

"H-hey!" Saitama said to the hooded being before the being raised his finger to its lips, signaling Saitama to stay silent. It held his hand and lead him to a nearby alley.

"Who are you?"

"Saitama, it seems you've upset the government **this** much."

"Eh?"

As Saitama expressed confusion, the hooded figure raised its hood to reveal herself.

"You've got a bounty on your head, Saitama."

"Kumi?"

"Yes." She took a scrolled sheet of paper from her satchel and gave it to Saitama. Saitama viewed the scroll and saw his own, deadpan face greet himself.

"8, 273 gold coins? What did I do?"

"Nothing at all. They're just very salty on their loss against you." Kumi replaced her hood on once more. "That's how the empire is. It's full of baby jerks who haven't been taught to be humble."

"Yeah, but all I did is just poke them a bit. It shouldn't warrant a dead or alive poster, should it?"

"That's just how the justice system works here. I know, it's bullshit. That's why we of the resistance put up a great façade. Have you noticed?"

"Nope."

"When I'm in my waitress mode, I'm incredibly cheerful and happy. Of course, I still am. It's just that I've gotten tired of it."

"So you too have lost emotion, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. What should I do now? My stuff's up there."

"I'm sure they're eagerly waiting for your return. You should come to the revolutionary army's base."

"But-"

"Don't worry. I'll be getting your clothes. I'll bring it to you so don't worry. First, let's get out of here."

As Kumi grabbed Saitama's sleeve and pulled him through the dark streets of the capital, they notice a person following them through the roofs. Kumi increased the pace.

"Is that…hey, that guy's following us."

"That's obvious. We need to lose him." As Kumi increased the pace from a brisk walk to a full sprint through the maze of the backstreets of the empire , the being leaped from roof to roof.

"Dammit, this guy's good" Kumi said as she continued until she reached a dead end.

"We got cornered, huh." Saitama said as he looked at the approaching figure.

"Shit, here goes nothing." Kumi said as she took a knife from her pocket and prepared herself.

"Woah there, Kumi. Do you want to be fired or something?"

"That voice!"

The figure raised his hood. "You shouldn't attack your boss, you know?"

"Lubbock!"

"Ah it's that guy from the library!" Saitama said as if he had formulated a brilliant idea.

"Damn, running after you could surely be good exercise though. That made my sweat a bit." Lubbock said as he took a handkerchief and proceeded to wipe the sweat off of his face.

"Why were you following us?" Kumi sheathed her knife and sighed with relief. "We thought you might've been a royal guard."

"Yeah, I thought it would be a good way to test you. You failed, though." Lubbock smiled despite the harsh truth he said.

"Well, we weren't really that fast." Saitama said.

"Is that so?" Lubbock looked at Saitama and examined his body. "You were quite a spectacle in the mansion raid. Might you know where the rich girl is?"

"Yeah, no."

"Heh, of course. Sorry for interrogating you in such a place."

"It isn't the place, really. It's just that you're probably going to kill her."

"We might have different tastes in terms of morality, but that's a discussion for another day. Right now, you're coming with me."

"Eh?" Kumi raised her brow. "You're taking him to the Night Raid headquarters?"

"Yes. From the moment we saw his wanted posters and reported our _encounter_ with him to Najenda, She ordered us to try and persuade him to our club." Lubbock looked at Saitama, who casually flicked off a booger. "Saitama, you'll be with us now."

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll just find my own home."

"There won't be any rent."

Saitama paused at the mention of **no rent**. "...Should I get my things then?" he said with a subtle smile.

"I'll be retrieving your personal belongings from the inn. You just go with Lubbock here." Kumi said as she went on her way towards the inn.

"You sure?"

"Don't worry, Saitama. She might seem like a cute, friendly girl in her waitress disguise, but she's quite deadly if she were against the normal soldiers. She _is_ stationed at the Capital."

"I see. Take care of my stuff then" Saitama said as the two turned around and went to the cliffside hideout of night raid.


	2. Piss off

"Are you listening, Mr. Saitama?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Do you know a cheap place to get good deals? For shopping and stuff"

"I see, so you weren't really listening." A girl with silver hair, purple eyes, a suit with a deep cut on the bust, and a prominent bionic arm sighed.

"Well, I got a bit distracted since the manager said this place will be rent free, but food's quite the problem. This place is pretty far from the capital itself"

Saitama, now in his tank top and boxers, thought deeply as he closed his eyes and scratched his chin. "Not to mention the price of the food there. Makes me shiver"

"We won't have a problem with the food." Akame said with blank eyes typical of a housemaid which met Saitama's own blank eyes. "We can hunt for them in the forest."

"Oh, that's right! You're a good woman!" Saitama said with a grin and thumbs up sign usually associated with a thrifty person. "Though you did try to kill me the other night"

"It was part of the job" Akame responded with her own thumbs up. It seemed like the two would get along very well. "Do you want to practice it today? For research purposes." Or not.

"Sorry but this is my only suit at the moment. I don't want it ruined by cuts."

"Are you sure this man was the one who put the operation to a halt, Lubbock?"

"Oh, Najenda, don't worry. From the personality reports sent by Aria, as well as my own personal observation, he seems to have good morals. He won't be putting us in danger and maybe he could help us against the empire. Besides, " Lubbock gazed once more at Saitama. "He doesn't really have a place to stay, being a wanted person in the capital and all."

In disbelief, Najenda looked at Lubbock and Saitama repeatedly. "In just a few days, he had already acquired the attention of the empire?"

"Supposedly so."

Najenda shook her head and sighed. "At least he'll be joining our assassinatio-"

"Hold up" Saitama raised his palm and pinched his nose bridge. "I only saw the opportunity for a new, cheap house and took it. I won't be joining your killing business or whatever."

"What? First you get an annoyingly naïve guy in this place, now we have this stupid, bald guy who wouldn't even kill an official? How idiotic can you get!" a girl with pink twintails said as she swayed her head to one direction in the classic tsundere way.

"I'm a hero for a hobby, not a killer. Maybe I could kill the monsters near this place to make up for it. As long as they're humans, they could change. "

"In any case, I will be the one to help him stabilize in our lifestyle. Don't worry, boss!"

"Fine. Mine, you talked of someone else other than him?"

"Yes. He's with Leone currently."

"I see. I'll have him introduced sooner or later." Najenda looked at Saitama. "What's your name?"

"It's Saitama."

"Well, Saitama, welcome to Night Raid. For now, Lubbock will guide you what to do here, whatever it may be." Najenda said as she dismissed the meeting.

"So, Saitama, want a tour of the forest?"

000

"Well well, if it isn't a new guy!" a man with a chiseled body and heart shaped pompadour shouted to Saitama, who exited the building."

Heeey…who are you?"

"I'm Bulat, the guy in the armor from the assassination last night. Nice to meet ya!" As they shook hands, Bulat's grip tightened, not with the intention of hurting Saitama but to do something else.

"He's gay, you know?"

"Seriously?" Saitama looked at Bulat, who had a flushed face. "Sorry, I don't swing that way."

"Oh, it's fine, really. Well, where do you plan to go, Lubbock?"

"I'm, I mean, **we're** going to the forest to have a good view at the **mountains**."

"I see. You really don't learn, huh? Saitama, be cautious with Lubbock. He can be quite a handful sometimes, especially with the ladies. Be prepared just in case. "

"Basically," Saitama pointed to Lubbock with his thumb. "This guy's a pervert, right?"

"Blunt, I see." Bulat laughed.

"Hey now, Saitama." Lubbock wrapped his arm on Saitama's shoulder. "There are times when us boys just need some time like that. You understand, right?"

"I don't know about that."

"Well, then, let's go to the main course!" Lubbock grinned suspiciously as he and Saitama moved forth.

000

"Uhm, why are you lying on the ground."

"Hush Saitama. This is what we live for as men. The time is ripe for you to witness the incredible mountains of the beast known as Leone."

"And I should be excited why?"

"Because they contain a man's hopes and dreams!"

"Nah, you're just a peeping tom. I don't think you should be doing this." Saitama looked behind him. "Ah"

"Why not, Saitama? Sometimes, a man's got to go through all hazards and dangers present in his path to get to treasures, such as a sight of those breasts!" Lubbock stood in anticipation.

"How about we break a finger or two then" a voice said behind him as his left hand pulled and his body got restrained to the floor. Lubbock could only wriggle on the floor like a worm.

"You never learn, huh"

"Dammit, I got so close too! Wait, I think I can get out…nah" Lubbock said as he tried fidgeting to no effect.

"Oh, Tatsumi!"

"Oh, hey Saitama."

"Sorry if I stopped you from killing that girl. It's not right to hit little girls who can't fight."

"Yeah, I kind of lost control back there. What happened to the girl, anyway?"

"She's living peacefully in a village."

"Eh, so she is, huh?" Leone said as she stepped on Lubbock's back. "How can you guarantee she isn't going back to her past self?"

"I can't. She'll do it herself. I did talk some sense in her, I think."

"So that's how it is then!" Leone smiled and wrapped her arm around Saitama. "Though I do think it's rude to the guys she'd tortured before, it's fun to see some naïve morals still existing"

"People here are touchy, huh."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Now let's go to Akame.

000

As Saitama, Tatsumi, and Leone arrived, a massive, silly looking danger beast corpse roasted on a stick above a blazing fire greeted them. The red eyed assassin we all know chewed on her portion intently.

"There's the beautiful girl, Akame!"

"That's…isn't that an evil bird? She killed it on her own?" Tatsumi pointed to the bird with the expression that seemed to scream "haha I'm dumb".

"Is that bird strong? It doesn't look like it."

"Well, Saitama, everyone else seems to find theme exceptionally strong. Usually, it requires a group of hunters to take a single one, but Akame here, who grew up in the wilderness, can take them down without much effort."

"Leone, have some too." Akame took a piece of the golden brown meat and threw it to Leone.

"Oh, don't mind if I do!" Leone, as if on cue, took the piece with pleasure. As Leone chewed, Akame looked at the newcomers. She seemed to gaze at Saitama for a while, but having said what she had wanted to say in the morning, she directed her attention to Tatsumi.

"Have you decided to join night raid?"

Tatsumi, shocked by Akame's straightforward approach, recomposed himself. "I have not."

"Then I can't share this meat with you" Akame said as she pointed the piece of meat to him before biting into it.

" _Like I care about your meat!"_ Tatsumi, thinking Akame wanted to show dominance, shouted in his head. _"You've tried to kill me twice before, and now this? I can't read her, definitely."_

"Oh, where'd Saitama go?" Leone said after she had finished her part. "Must have forgotten something. Anyways, you've gone all-out tonight" Leone said as she approached Akame.

"The boss just returned"

" _Boss?"_

"Oh, boss! Welcome home! You have anything from the trip? Souvenirs, perhaps?"

"Before that, Leone…" Najenda gripped her fist into a ball. "I received a report of your mission's time extension three days ago. Did I permit that?"

"Well, crap"

Leone tried running away a few meters, only to get caught by the bionic arm of the boss. "You know you shouldn't take too much pleasure in fighting. Try breaking the habit, will you?"

"Fine, just please stop reeling me in like I'm fish!"

She released her grip from the playful girl and looked at the unfamiliar face. "Who might this kid be?"

"Oh, boss, this guy's got great talent!" Leone said as she placed her hand on Tatsumi's shoulders roughly.

"He shows promise?"

"Not as much as Saitama, but yep"

"I see. Round up the others. We need to talk about him as well. Bring Saitama too, so we could formally introduce them."

"Alrighty. But first, where's-" Before Leone could finish her words, she heard what seemed like a powerful cannon burst.

"What was…"

As they wondered what might have caused the noise, a flying projectile pierced the atmosphere and went towards them. Seeing the speed of the object, the group fled in an attempt to avoid the impact. The projectile landed and dragged itself through the ground until it had reached the river bank where the wet clay stopped it in its tracks.

"What was that?" Tatsumi said as he unsheathed his blade.

"Oh, it's there." A bored voice said from the dark forest. "I thought I exerted too much strength and destroyed it to pieces. It's still edible, right?"

Akame gazed at the madness that is Saitama before looking at the supposed danger beast. She looked and looked and…had no idea what it was.

"It's a cabbage monster." Saitama said as he approached the group.

"Monster? Isn't this a danger beast?"

"I don't know about _danger beasts_ , but this guy was saying he was going to invade the world and things."

"Things?" they all asked in unison.

"He was talking too much. I didn't listen"

"This is…weird." Najenda clicked her tongue as she looked at the monster. "I've never seen something like that. Have you, Akame?"

Akame shook her head.

"I see."

"Well, all we should do now is cook it for soup, right? That should prove I'm useful here."

"Let's go back then."

000

"Will you join us, Tatsumi?" Najenda, sitting on her throne, spoke in the center of the hall.

"Well, you'll kill me if I don't, right? It's not really much of a choice." Tatsumi scratched his head.

"That's absurd." Najenda smiled to convince him. "If you don't join, we'll just have you join the workshops"

"Workshops?"

"Yes. We'll let you go, of course, but we cannot overlook your knowledge of this place. We'll always be watching, but if you're not doing anything that could affect our affairs, then you're as good as free. With that in mind, what do you say?"

Tatsumi paused in thought. "My initial goal was to raise enough money for my impoverished village. That's the reason I went to the capital." He remembered. "But this place is…"

"Tatsumi" Bulat yelled. "The underlying reason why this nation is plunged in poverty and suffering lies is because of the corruption within. Do you not agree that striking it at the core will help alleviate the situation? Be a man!"

Leone grinned. "Bulat was previously an Imperial soldier. He was known for his skills. Once he discovered how rotten the empire truly was, he immediately left and joined the revolutionary army. "

"Our reason for existence is to prune the evils of capital. At least it's better than working for such a corrupt capital, right?"

"You can't change the world by killing a few evil guys." Tatsumi said in an undertone. "You can't save lesser known areas like my village that way!"

"That makes you better suited for Night raid."

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you can relate to this. The headquarters of the revolutionary army is in the far south of the capital. It started out small and slowly made its way to be a threat large enough to catch the attention of the empire. Therefore, in order to perform the undesirable but necessary covert operations , such as the collection of intelligence and assassinations, the army created us, **Night Raid**." Najenda clenched her bionic fist once more. "Right now, we're taking out the pests, but once we mobilize, we'll take out the root of all the problems: the emperor and the prime minister."

"Seems simple enough." Saitama said as he entered the hall.

"Oh, Saitama, how'd cooking go?" Leone said with enthusiasm.

"The bird's a bit big and I made a mess, but the procedures were similar to some of my world, so we should eat after the meeting." Saitama had a new, cleaner pair of clothes prior to cooking, but after the incident had happened, a few dirt marks could be spotted. He took a tissue from his pocket and cleaned a dirty spot on his cheek. "Anyway, what were you talking about?"

"We were talking about restarting the empire anew"

"I see. So you're basically…SUPERHEROES FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE!" Tatsumi's shout silenced everyone for a few seconds before they (excluding Akame, Najenda, and Saitama) threw into a fit of laughter.

"Eh? Why is everyone laughing?"

"Well" Leone said as her smile turned ominous. "We're still killing people. We're no different from murderers, ya know."

"It's a dirty task void of justice." Sheele stated.

"We could be executed for what we're doing, and we won't even complain. We know that it's dirty business we're doing" Bulat added.

"What a naïve brat" Mine clicked her tongue in disdain. "Are you guys really sure he has potential? People like him should **never** be involved with us."

"Doesn't that mean he **shouldn't** join you guys? You knew that you were doing something wrong, but you didn't even stop? That's kinda pointless."

"It's fine if you don't understand Saitama. We're doing it for the nation; we have our reasons. Tatsumi, take your time. You just need to answer a question: do you have the resolve to be like us?" Najenda said with an extended hand.

"I…I'm getting compensation for this, right?"

"Of course. With some work, you'll save enough for your village."

"Then please let me join you"

"Eh? Aren't you going to think of it more?" Saitama, surprised by the sudden, rather rash decision, asked.

"Sayo, Ieyatsu… they all died for our village, and yet they had to die such immoral deaths. I must do it, for them, for the village, for the empire!"

"You know you might not be able to return, right?" Mine said as she wrinkled her brow at the aspiring assassin.

"It's okay. As long as everyone can live in peace, I'm fine."

"Then it's settled. Tatsumi, welcome to the bloody life of an assassin." Najenda then transferred her attention to Saitama. "It's not too late for you too, Saitama. Want to join?"

"You're saying that like you're giving out coupons. I'm a professional hero, not a hitman."

"I see you're just as stubborn with your ideals as this morning"

"Not really. It's just what I think, I guess." Saitama scratched his chin. "It's how I've always been ever since I decided to become a hero for a hobby"

"I see, then Lubbock will look over you for the meantime, and Tatsumi will be trained by Akame. For now, you're dismissed. Oh, and akame, if he becomes a burden, you're free to kill him."

"Understood" Akame responded nonchalantly.

"How the fuck is she saying it like it's an ordinary Tuesday for her?" Tatsumi thought before he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders by a certain blonde girl."

"You'll have to train hard, all right?" Leone said with a wide smile, much to Tatsumi's chagrin.

000

 _I've been recruited by the assassin group named Night Raid the other day. I felt a sense of justice over the people; I wanted to bring them the peace and prosperity everyone deserves, so joining it to destroy the evils of the capital from within seemed like a good idea. Indeed, it is a job brimming with unethical, bloody methods, but if it's for the better. However…_

"Hey, are you finished peeling the potatoes?" a baldy said as he brought a few ingredients from a table to another.

"Seconds, please!"

"Same here!"

"What's taking so long?"

"Tatsumi, this is good!"

 _I'm stuck in cooking duty, dammit!_

"I've been here for hours now. I'm more of a cook than a damn assassin" Tatsumi complained as he peeled more potatoes.

"It can't be helped. I'm the one in charge of the cooking, and you're with me so-" Akame took a bit of the cooked food and ate continuously.

"You're here to eat! You're using 'cooking' as a pretense for eating, right?"

"It doesn't matter. Moreover, I'm impressed Saitama can help better than you in the kitchen." Akame said to Saitama, who was chopping onions and other food quickly.

"Oh, it's probably because I've done so many part-time jobs. I don't know how many times I've worked in a restaurant"

"With your strength, you're just doing part-time jobs? You're kidding, right?"

"Seriously, hero work doesn't really let you profit much if you do it as a hobby and alone. After I became a professional, I didn't need part-time jobs anymore."

"Professional hero?" Tatsumi raised his brow. "Is it like a guard in the empire?"

"Not really. In my world, guards are the policemen, who take care of smaller threats, as said by my disciple. When it comes to city threats though, the heroes usually arrive."

"You have disciples?" Akame, surprised with Saitama having a follower, asked.

"Yeah, his name is Genos. I think he's too serious in being my follower."

"Saitama...has a disciple. You learn something new every day." Tatsumi said as he closed his eyes as if he was in deep thought.

Saitama sighed. "Well, he forced himself to be one, so I had no control in that matter. I'm going to wash the dishes."

As Saitama proceeded to the sink, Mine and Tatsumi continued to quarrel very childishly, much to the group's entertainment.

000

"Tatsumi, we've got to go now." Bulat said at the doorway. Lubbock, Mine, and Sheele were all with him.

"Where are you going?" Tatsumi asked. He knew they just finished a mission the other day, so why did they suddenly have plans?

"It's an emergency assignment."

"For the meantime, guard the fort for us!" Mine shouted. "Keep peeling the potatoes or cutting the cucumbers, newbie!" Mine continued to boisterously laugh as if to support her position as a senior assassin.

" _What the hell's her problem, anyway?"_ Tatsumi thought.

"Oh, and Saitama." Lubbock called. "You should join us. We're going to hunt someone you may know."

"Alright. Wait for a sec, I'll just get my clothes ready." Saitama said as he went upstairs.

"Wait, why did Saitama get chosen to join you guys? How about me?" Tatsumi pointed to himself with a doubtful look.

"That's because you may pee your pants when we fight the target!" Mine annoyingly said with a smug face, which further irritated Tatsumi.

"It's fine, Tatsumi. I just want to show what Saitama should do as part of Night Raid."

"But he isn't even a part yet…"

"Well, we're not allowing him to freeload for no reason, you know." Lubbock winked, making Tatsumi think what the group has in store for Saitama, who they clearly respect.

"Anyways, we're counting on your growth as an assassin, Tatsumi"

"Thanks…"

000

Lubbock and the others hid in the bushes as they watched a certain tall and muscular man approach a nearby tree. He was guarded by no less than 20 men. For some reason, he was standing in front of an old oak tree beside a rather stagnant pond.

"There's our target. Do you know him, Saitama?" Lubbock said as he transferred the binoculars from his eyes to Saitama's.

"Hmmm, nope." Saitama said blankly.

"Are you serious? Kumi-chan said she saw you beat him in the streets when you first entered the capital."

"So she was there from the start, huh. I had no idea. And I still have no idea who the guy is."

"I see, then let's inform you. That guy's Dorbus, a captain of the guards. We've gained reports that he's been collaborating with a certain official and overtaxing the citizens. Basically, he taxes them for made-up laws and charges twenty times the original price, if it did exist. If you don't pay, he'll beat you to a pulp or he impales you with his sword. Simple as that."

"Don't know who he is, but he's quite an asshole."

"I know, right? Well, we're going to kill him as our target."

"Did you seriously call me up to watch you kill a bunch of people? Sorry, but I'll pass." Saitama said with a crooked forehead. "Sure, he's an asshole, but he's still a human."

"Well, you know how our values and yours don't always match perfectly, so we'll just ask you to bring us out if our lives are in trouble, okay?" Lubbock said with his hands clasped together.

"Fine. I'll just come to save you guys then."

"Alright, thanks!"

"They're here!" Bulat shouted as he waved a hand signal, making the group lower their heads in stealth.

"Ah, it's been a while since I've returned to this damn tree." The intoxicated captain shouted to his subordinates.

"Sir, what are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? OF COURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS TREE, DUMBASS! Ever since I've become a soldier, this damn tree had a branch fall on me. After that incident, which I would call as the most humiliating time of my life, I peed on it every single time I see it!"

The soldiers looked at their drunkard captain, as if to say they need not know of such… _sensitive_ topics.

As Dorbus opened his zipper and unleashed a yellow stream of hatred to the damned tree, a gust of wind forced him to look behind him.

"What…the fuck?"

His eyes contracted as he saw his soldiers turned to corpses sprawled on the grassy floor, with their bodies heavily disfigured. He looked to his left and saw a shadowy figure approach him at high speeds. He quickly unsheathed his sword, completely blocking a spear attack from an armored man.

"Now, Sheele!" Bulat shouted as he jumped away. Dorbus had no time to react. After Bulat leaped to safety, a woman with glasses and a large scissor went in speedily with her center of gravity near the earth, further enhancing her acceleration.

"Gah!" The man blurted out as Sheele's scissors completely cut him in half and set him flying to the tree he had just pissed on.

"Mission: accomplished" Sheele said with a serious look on her face.

Mine clicked her tongue. "Just when I thought this was a rather challenging fight, it ended with me shooting mindlessly over these guys."

"Hey, I helped kill, too." Lubbock said as he revealed strings from his gloves. "Though it really was underwhelming, was this mission really from the boss?"

"Maybe she was trying to convert him to our side, too." Mine said as he pointed to Saitama by her gaze. Saitama frowned as he looked down to avoid seeing the bloody mess they had made.

"Well, there's nothing more we could do. Let's report that our target's dead then." Bulat said as he proceeded to walk back to the headquarters.

"I've been…slain, I see." A voice stated behind them. Bulat and the others surprisingly looked at the man, who could talk even after such blood loss. "It's…painful, but…"

"but…."

"… **my hatred for this tree is stronger…** "

After saying these words, the man's body turned to a viscous, black sludge and merged with the tree he had pissed on for years.

"What's happening?" Mine shouted as they watched the tree shake violently. "Is this a new Imperial arm?"

"I don't think so. I've never heard any reports of an Imperial arm that biologically fuses a man and a plant." Bulat shouted back as they watched the tree take the shape of a giant.

" **Kukukukuku, my hatred to this tree was so intense that I had merged with it. This feels GREAAAT** "

"What's the guy talking about? He merged?" Lubbock prepared his glove's wires around the tree in an attempt to hold it down.

" **That won't work right now!** " the tree said as it wound the wires to its branches and through away Lubbock, whom was saved by Saitama.

" **Worthless rebel scum. You won't take me down that easily now-** " the monster said before a few of its branches fell down .

"You've been talking too much. Maybe you should man up and fight!" Bulat said as he twisted his spear.

" **Pathetic** " the monster and Bulat exchanged blows. Bulat leaped backwards and yelled out. "MINE"

"All right, duck!" Mine said as Bulat did as he was told. A powerful beam of energy pierced through a twisted tree bark that seemed to be its face. "Dead in one hit!" Mine said proudly before the earth moved. The tremor threw the two off balance before being entrapped by roots extending from down below.

"My…my spear won't go through!" Bulat tried to break free of the monster's roots. However, not only are the roots thick enough to hold him down, but it also intelligently reduced the spear's range to zero by holding to its blade and handle. Bulat could not move it at all.

"Dammit" Mine tried to reach for her pumpkin, but it was far too out of reach.

" **You're so cocky. You thought you could always attack? That's not the case. Why aren't you trying to break free? Tired?** "

As the monster said these, he felt his branches fall.

" **Who goes there!** "

"There's nothing my blade couldn't cut." Sheele said as she looked at the monster with the intent to kill. The monster regrew its head, only it now had shining, green pupils inside the hollow branches. " **Let's try you out then, sweetie** "

The tree raised a large branch and multiplied the twigs by the hundreds and formed them to show a multi-layered pike-like arm that should leave the target impaled. The monster struck forth, only to get the whole arm cut off.

"It's unwise to rely on one arm to fight." Sheele said as she moved to the monster's trunk and cut it completely.

" **Not yet** " the monster shouted as it reattached the limbs and grew an even thicker wood façade to protect himself.

"No matter how thick your trunk is, I'll cut it." Sheele said as she proceeded to the monster's head. The monster immediately grew out thorns, prompting Sheele to leap to a safer distance. Unbeknownst to her, she leaped to a root rising from the ground.

Sheele fell to the loamy bank of the pond. As she tried to stand up, sharp roots surrounded her neck and body.

"My scissors…won't open?" Sheele thought as she struggled to open her scissors.

" **That won't work. That blade of yours can surely be a problem, but it's perfectly safe to have it closed. We should just keep it that way** " the monster's pseudo-face smiled with grotesque wrinkly teeth.

" **You lot sure showed power. So this is how strong Night Raid is, huh? That makes me a legendary Imperial guard who can kill three of them at once! Kukuku, now that you're all here, let's make things** _ **exciting**_ _"_

The tree monster wrapped thick roots at the necks of Bulat, Sheele, and Mine. " **Let's count up to ten, shall we?** "

The monster counted loudly as the branches around them began to slowly wrap around their necks. Since they were tied up and the branches were too thick they couldn't do anything but reminisce their pasts. Well, until Saitama came along.

"I guess this is the part where they're in trouble, right?"

" **A smallfry? Who the hell are you?** "

"I'm Saitama, a professional hero. You should let them go before you strangle them to death."

" **Well that's what I was planning to do from the start, dingo! Or do you want to join them? You don't mind, right?** " the monster flashed another grotesque, murderous smile as he sent thin vines to Saitama, which completely turned to thick branches after 2 seconds. **"What do you think?"**

"Well, this is weird." Saitama said as he raised his left arm. He proceeded to chop through the wood as if they were made of paper.

" **What…just happened?"**

The monster looked in disbelief at the bald man who looked at him with an uninterested expression on his face.

"Is that all you've got?" Saitama asked.

" **Don't get too cocky"** the monster shouted as it summoned all its branches and impaled the hero.

"Saitama!" the three captives shouted in unison as the boisterous laugh of the monster rang through their ears.

" **How does it feel? Did you get all tingly inside? Did it feel 'sharp' I wonder?"**

"Not really." The monster heard. His joyful, boisterous laugh was broken and what replaced was shock, fear, and anger.

" **This bastard…Ah, you were the one who injured me the other day!"** The monster recalled. " **After that embarrassment, I'll make sure you die a painful death"**

Dorbus surrounded Saitama completely with his roots and grit his teeth. " **Take this!** " The monster shouted as smoke escaped from the roots clustered around Saitama, which made him feel like a pea in a pod.

" **Is it getting hot there? IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ACID. I've peed on this plant for so long that the acid buildup had completely changed the plant's characteristics! Now that I'm using, you're probably melting to a fine liquid right now. It's a shame you didn't have a final word or two. You could've said a pun or-"**

Before Dorbus could finish what he said, he felt a decrease in the atmosphere's temperature. He became frantic as a disturbed animal. He felt as if everything he's done up to his current position was pointless. **Because there's always someone there who's going to rule. Someone to win. Someone who will be above him in every aspect.**

What the three and Lubbock heard next was what seemed to be the sound of a cannon so strong it displaced half of the water in the stagnant pond to the higher grounds and sent the pieces of the monster to the skies.

"Uh, Saitama!" Bulat said as he struggled away from the now-shriveling branches of the tree monster. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, that guy's alive." Saitama said as he took both Mine and Sheele out of the rotting tree monster's branches. "The two girls completely lost consciousness. Good thing you woke up. Help me out, will ya?"

"That doesn't matter now" Bulat said as he removed Incursio. "Weren't you wounded by that guy?"

"Not really. I had to act fast to prevent my hero clothes from melting. I guess I saved it."

"Do you see Saitama's strength?" Lubbock said as he forced himself to get up. "All it took was one damn punch to take that thing out, right?"

"It's true. That punch…isn't a human's. It's more like an Imperial Arms user, but it seems he's not even using one." Bulat said as he brought the two girls near a tree. "I've heard of biological Imperial Arms. Are you sure you're not one of them, Saitama? Do you have a master as well?"

"Nah, I don't even know how I got here in the first place."

"You have a point." Bulat held a relieved expression. "It's impossible for you to have a master, since biological Imperial Arms require a certain range to be with their masters to function properly. Well, it's not like doubting you would do anything. I can't possibly hold a candle to **that** power."

"Stop buttering me up." Saitama said with a smirk. "All I did was to protect the girls. Even if I wasn't that strong, I would have still defeated that monster. That's what a hero does."

"Anyway, let's report this to the boss once we get back." Lubbock looked at the monster corpse. "It's not common for people to suddenly turn to something so monstrous like that. Is this the effect of human experimentation in the capital?"

"It's common in my place." Saitama said blankly. On the other hand, Bulat and Lubbock looked at him with a subtle tint of shock in their eyes.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. You'd think they've powered up and become strong enough to give you thrills. Well, they only give you the thrill in the first few weeks. After that, the battles become stale and boring."

"In any case, this is alarming. Something so powerful that four Night Raid members cannot defeat it is a threat not only to the resistance, but to the civilians themselves. If they join the Imperial Army, I…I don't know what would happen." Bulat grit his teeth at the thought.

"Nah, I won't let that happen." Saitama said.

"Saitama…" Lubbock looked at him. "Didn't you say you weren't going to join Night Raid?"

"Yeah, you guys kill people. However, that thing's a **monster**." Saitama pointed. "When it comes to these kinds of things, leave it to the heroes."


	3. Mind your business

**So I've recently returned to writing the story because of the number of Reviews the story got. It greatly inspired me since this is my second time I've written a fanfiction, and I wrote the first chapter since I wanted to procrastinate :D Anyways, THANKS to all the followers, favorites, and the reviews. I must say that the reason my story takes so much time is because it's either I forget or I don't really know any interesting ideas to add. Feel free to review, I greatly appreciate that.**

"What are you doing here?" Saitama said as he faced eight armed strangers. "I heard strange voices while I was patrolling the forest. Why are you trespassing?"

"Shit. We've been found out." An assassin said as him and his colleagues prepared their weapons.

"Why are the people here so violent" Saitama raised his brow before completely dodging their blades.

" _The fucker's fast"_ said one of the assassins as they continued to release a barrage of melee attacks. They never realized that no matter how much they struggle, their blades would never reach Saitama.

It was not long after that two assassins fell. "What happened?" asked the female assassin as she saw Saitama's fluctuating image materialize in the middle of the group along with a gust of wind.

"Could you stop attacking? You might ruin my suit…" Saitama said.

" _Did he inject a poison to them?_ " the woman said as she ordered her comrades to escape with a hand signal before she herself ran.

"Oh, no you don't." Saitama said as he proceeded to follow the others and delivered chops to their necks, immediately sending them unconscious.

"This speed isn't human." One assassin said as he tripped to a tree trunk by a gust of wind delivered by a running Saitama. "Sorry, but boss will kick me out if I don't do my job properly."

"Bastard!" the girl shouted as she took a knife from her pocket and proceeded towards Saitama. Saitama caught the blade in the middle of his thumb and index finger before pinching it hard enough to make it crumble like a brittle plate. The girl fell to a tree, where she was immediately tied up by Saitama. Afterwards, Saitama gathered all the other assassins and tied them to the same tree.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Don't you know trespassing is against the law?"

"Dirty asshole, don't even hide your nature from us." An assassin glared at Saitama. "You're a part of the assassin group night raid, aren't ya?"

"Night Raid?" Saitama asked as if he had no idea of the group he lives with.

"Yeah, it's written all over you." a man continued. "Your convincing normal appearance tricks us, but that speed you've got gave it away. It's fucking obvious."

 _Crap, I got overexcited and showed my power. What should I do now…wait, what would King do?..._

Saitama stayed silent, causing the assassins to think of a plan to escape.

"Alright, I've decided." Saitama said as he hit his clenched fist down his palm. "I'm gonna turn you in to the authorities.

" _Turn us in? Is he bluffing?_ " the woman thought. "Didn't we say you were part of Night Raid?"

"No I'm not. Actually I'm part of…Mr. Monaluppo's royal guards." Saitama stuttered.

"You stuttered just now." A man said.

"No I did not!" Saitama countered with an irritated face. "Anyways, you guys were trespassing, so we'll have to arrest you."

"A-arrest? You mean…"

"Yep, I'll send you to the guards." Upon hearing this, the assassins' faces turned to that of fear. "You mean, the Imperial guards?"

"Who else?"

The assassins had faces of extreme horror. They may be from outside the capital, but they've heard how they treated outlaws. They were tortured, experimented, eaten, crucified, slain. The capital's creativity on inflicting as much human rights violations as possible is infinite.

"Please don't!" the assassins cried out with tears on their eyes. "You really are a guard. There are only two possibilities for that power, and you're on the empire's side"

"I'm not really following you, but do you promise not to be such a problem to society?"

"Of course! We won't, good sir" the assassins said with utmost respect. "We dare not to approach the bad side of the empire."

"Then you won't tell this location to your assassin buddies?"

"We won't, just spare us from your wrath!" the assassins desperately clung to the very small possibility that an Imperial guard would have sympathy on them. Fortunately, the guard they were talking to was a fake and, we daresay equally as desperate.

 _I'm saved!_

"Then I'll release you." Saitama said as he cut the assassins free. "If you tell this to anyone, Mr. Monaluppo will personally kill you, alright you hicks?"

"Y-Yes sir!" the assassins ran to the direction from whence they came. Saitama looked at the top of a tree until his incredibly good eyesight couldn't see them.

"Thank god they're gone." Saitama sighed with relief. "If it's anyone from the group that's discovered them, they'd sure be killed."

"Good you know." An unknown voice said behind him. "Ah, manager, boss."

"It's quite a ruckus in the morning, Saitama." Najenda said from below, while Lubbock sat on the same branch of the tree Saitama stood on. Lubbock showed the strings from his Imperial Relic. "We've known of their existence ever since they stood a couple of kilometers within our territory, you know."

"I see." Saitama said as a drop of sweat rolled from his temples. "So, how did it go?"

"I'm pessimistic about the act they dropped, so I'll be sending some undercover agents to monitor them. Good job on your first act as our guard, though. Saying that our base was a noble's house would lead them to talk about avoiding it in the first place, which is a superb idea."

"Ah, thanks" Saitama said with a nervous smirk. He never wanted to give that impression, but hey, if it works, it works.

"Still" Lubbock said as he smugly smiled with his hand covering his mouth. "Mr. Monaluppo? Where'd ya get that weird name?"

"SHUT UP I WAS UNDER PRESSURE"

000

 _It's been a few days since I've become part of the assassin group named Night Raid. I've held my ground for a bit, to be honest. I've defeated an Imperial soldier, got my clothes stripped by the girls, saw a girl in her undies, shopped with a girl, trained with Bro, and watched my superiors assassinate a high profile Noble. So far so good. Saitama's done a good job in helping the group as well by cooking some food from his world and guarding the base from intruders. Nowadays, there are reports talking about a serial killer using Imperial Arms to cut off the heads of the citizens. Sounds bad…_

"Your target tonight is one who prowls the night in search for victims." Najenda said as she sat on her chair in the hall. "He's been killing citizens by the dozens nowadays, and we cannot let him continue this onslaught."

"A third of those were guards, right?" Tatsumi asked. "Does that mean he's not part of the empire? He must be strong."

"He used to be part of the empire." Lubbock said.

"Eh? How come I haven't known?" Tatsumi raised his brow.

"So it seems you live farther from the capital than I thought." Mine said, implying the news surrounding the man was old.

"Uhm, who is that?" Sheele asked. "Sheele, you probably forgot about him."

"His identity was known as Zank the executioner, mainly because he beheaded the people sentenced to death by the empire in the largest prison in the capital. When the prime minister came to power, he, in the guise of the emperor, sentenced more people to death by beheading. Zank's mental fortitude snapped due to hearing so many cries, so much in fact that he began to kill even before his targets realized what position they were in." Mine narrated. "Eventually, his bloodlust wasn't sated, thus he started mass murdering indiscriminately."

"So that's why he got crazy" Tatsumi said.

"They formed a squad to eliminate him, but by that time Zank had vanished." Bulat mentioned. "Now, he's shown himself to the public once more."

"Then we should kill such a dangerous guy!" Tatsumi blurted out. Bulat held Tatsumi's head.

"Tatsumi, it won't be easy. Zank stole the warden's Imperial Arms, so he should be exceptionally difficult for someone like you to beat. We, must stay _together_ to protect each other from such dangers."

 _Bro, i'm thinking of a completely different danger right now._

"I see. So he should be as powerful as you guys." Saitama said. "Might I join?"

"Yes." Najenda responded. "Right now, we want all the assistance we need, since Zank is an Imperial Arms user"

"But boss" Mine asked. "Do we have any idea what his relic is?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't received information about it."

"So we can't know his Imperial Arms that easily? This'll be difficult indeed." Leone pinched her chin.

"Hey" Saitama said. "You keep telling us about Imperial Arms. Mind telling what they are?"

"I have the same question" Tatsumi asked before a certain katana was unsheathed by akame and brought forth.

"Here are your Imperial arms." Akame said.

"These are the Imperial Arms or Imperial Relics as the others say. Let's take this moment to explain this to Tatsumi and Saitama." Najenda said. "It all started when-"

"Excuse me but could you cut it to twenty words or less?"

"Eh, if Tatsumi is a sucker for details, you're the complete opposite" Mine said as she expressed her annoyance.

"Well, if the outcome is the same, then I might as well go with the shorter route."

"I see you're a straightforward man." Najenda smiled. "Basically, the emperor made forty eight tools from many resources that make humans equal to a thousand men in battle."

"And this sword's one of em?"

"Indeed. Most of the group have Imperial Relics for weapons: Murasame the one-cut killer, which produces an antidote-less, potent poison that can kill a man with one wound; The beast ruler, lionelle, turns a user to a beast enhanced with physical abilities, instinct, and senses; the spirit artillery, Pumpkin, which takes its power from the user's fighting spirit, especially when the user is in danger, is gun-shaped and shoots a powerful beam of energy; the demonic armor Incursio protects is user with an impregnable defensive armor, and puts the user under great stress, wherein those who are not worthy are killed; the wire of many uses, cross tail, which utilizes the creativity of its user due to its versatile functions despite being simple yet durable filaments; and the absolute bisector Extase can cut all known material and is durable enough for it to be used for defense. Some relics may have hidden properties as well, such as Incursio's ability to turn itself invisible."

"The reason why we were speculating about Saitama's Imperial Relic was because Saitama's power is beyond any human's" Akame said. "There must be a reason for that. You cannot obtain that strength by training alone."

"It's training." Saitama said.

"Then can you elaborate what kind of training? Did you go to the mountains and kill danger beasts there? Did you fight every single opponent of your world?" Tatsumi asked enthusiastically. "If so, can you please teach me?"

"Absolutely not."

Saitama was desperately holding back in telling his training procedure. Last time he mentioned how he got his overwhelming strength, all he received was disbelief. Also, he never intended to have any disciples in the first place. No way was he going to accept another one.

"You must find your own training." Saitama said in a way that if Genos was there, he would write and elaborate further on how great his master is.

"In any case, throughout history, when the Imperial Relic was present, there was sure to be bloodshed. In the case of Zank, once we find him, there are only two options for an Imperial arms wielder: kill or be killed. However, that doesn't guarantee the other's survival."

"Glad I'm joining then" After hearing about the threats the Imperial Arms users face, Saitama, hopeful for another thrilling encounter, smirked. He was aware of the target being human, but he just wanted to test it out to relieve his boredom.

Lubbock sent two threads of cross tail near their necks. "Now that you know of our secrets, we now share fate."

"Don't worry, you guys." Leone said with her hands on her hips. "Boss trusts you enough to tell you these things. That's a good thing!"

"We may be few, but our potential in combat is vast. With Saitama and Tatsumi as additions to our group, we can bring forth the revolution in a much smoother way."

"B-Boss, how about my Imperial Relic?" Tatsumi asked.

"What do you think of Imperial Arms, loot bags in a club?" Mine teased.

"If you're fated to, then you will get your own." Najenda said, much to Tatsumi's chagrin.

"Alright, let's do god's work and hunt our prey."

000

"So we can actually go to the capital in the night time, huh" Saitama said as he stood in the alleys. "Unfortunately, the market place is closed in the night time, unlike the convenience stores in my place. Damn, I miss my apartment"

"Convenience stores? What're those?" Lubbock said as he patrolled the area with Saitama.

"They're stores that sell mainly food and beverages as well as other stuff." Saitama said as he strolled the silent streets. "I used to work in one, too."

"Seriously? Your place must be really advanced then."

"Now that you mention it, it kinda is."

"Oh, be wary of guards, Saitama. They're planning to take on Zank as well."

"Alright."

"Well, let's split up so we could cover more area." Lubbock said as he used his cross tail to leap through the roofs.

"That guy's really flashy." Saitama said as he continued to patrol the silent area. The capital that is usually brimming with people was now dead silent. It was only illuminated by the street lights and the windows of the apartments nearby. Nothing could be heard except for the occasional marching done by the Imperial guards patrolling the area.

"Sure is quiet…wait this is the inn I first entered." Saitama said as he saw the restaurant closed off at such a late time due to the serial headsman.

"So even this place is silenced, huh." Saitama said before being pulled to a dark alley.

"Aren't you going to say hi to a friend?" a girl in a hood said.

"Oh, if it isn't Kumi." Saitama said as she unveiled herself. "Thanks for bringing my things"

"It's alright." Kumi said as she smiled. "So how's being with the revolutionary army's special assassin group?"

"Not that special I guess. Usually I cook with the black haired girl, do some chores, and protect the base. This time, though, they're tracking down some serial killer or whatever."

"I see you're still doing what the heavens cannot. So you've decided to take him down too. He was becoming a major threat to everyone. One time, he mercilessly beheaded an undercover resistance member and his wife. The children were sent to the revolutionary army's headquarters, but damn him."

"You've got it wrong. I'm not going to kill him."

"Not? So the rumors that you weren't completely a part of Night Raid was true."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm lending a hand or two, still."

"If they're not sending you to their workshops that must mean that you're really special."

"I guess so- Hey isn't that guy kinda suspicious" Saitama said as he pointed to the top of a building.

"What are you talking about?" Kumi said as she looked at what Saitama pointed. "There's no one there."

"Nah, there definitely is. Ah, he went down. I should go check it out. You go inside, alright?"

"Okay, let's meet again" Kumi said before they departed.

000

 _So it seems night raid is here as well. Kukuku, I wonder whose head I will- wait, that shiny object…it's a head. And it's looking at me?"_

Zank smiled. "So very impressive. I'll take him out first!"

000

"Hmm, I swear he fell somewhere." Saitama said as he looked at the streets for any signs of the man, when a familiar paper flew in front of him.

"… _Could this be…Impossible…It's…_ _ **a sale promo?**_ " Saitama said as he bent and tried to grab the piece of paper, when it flew again.

"Hey, stop!" Saitama said as he lousily followed the paper until he went to a nearby open park. The paper stuck itself on a monument.

"…Oh. It's not a sale promo, is it." Saitama said with a disappointed look. "Raised my hopes up a bit, too."

"What's with you, you actually followed a piece of paper?" the paper began to talk.

"…I knew there was something fishy." Saitama said as the paper began transforming to a tall, ominously smiling man with a weird artifact on his head.

"When did you know?" The man curled his lips to a malicious grin.

"Well, for starters, the paper was expired by a week. Plus, I received it back when I was in my place. I was so disappointed that I killed a monster, too." Saitama said as he recalled the events involving Genos, a youthful man with glasses, an ominous building blown to ashes, and a massive beetle-like monster. "Nevermind, I'm going."

"You're not gonna go that easily!" Zank said as he closed the distance between them in a flash. He revealed blades hidden beneath the sleeves of his long coat. "Good evening"

"Oh, same to you…who are you?"

"I see you don't even know me. In fact, you're not from here, are you?"

"Oh, how'd ya know? Can you read minds?"

"Hehe, oh yes I do, and I see you've made acquaintances with high profile people. Interesting, veeeery interesting." The man licked his lips moist.

"Hey, you can't just read minds like that!" Saitama said with an irritated tone.

"Oh, but I can. Just let me do so. You see, I have Insight, which allows me to make incredibly precise observations about you. Next, I used farsight which allowed me to see you in this darkness. However, your own eyes could see in miles as well. Impressive!"

"Ugh, can you stop talking. It's the middle of the night. You might wake the people up."

"Oh, are you thinking of turning me unconscious? Your thoughts show so much gruesome imagery that I'm honestly impressed you're making all of this up!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're thinking of a chop to my nape, right? Do you think I'll even allow you to do that?"

"Can't I?" Saitama said.

"You're truly a simpleton, huh?" the man shouted. "C'mon, try and duke it out with me"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll just watch over you for my boss."

"Now you're treating me like a kid? Bastard, don't even- Oooh, I sense another preseeence" Zank said as he turned around, completely avoiding a strike from a brown-haired assassin.

"He discovered me?" Tatsumi said as he felt a kick to the back.

"Hey, are you okay?" Saitama said as he helped Tatsumi up. "I'm fine."

"Useless, fucking useless." Zank shouted as he laughed. "I see through all your moves. First you'll throw a massive swing upwards, then you'll try attacking my midsection, but these are light attacks since you want to hit me with an impalement technique!" the man boasted of his ability as Tatsumi did exactly what he predicted. Not long after, Tatsumi noticed he was bleeding.

"I'm…outclassed by this person." Tatsumi said as he glared at the massive shadow made by the moon on the towering man.

"Oh, how I love the expressions you guys give when I separate that beloved head of yours from your soldiers. I especially love the face of those that barely even notice their own deaths!"

Zank smiled as he unleashed a flurry of attacks at Tatsumi, who tried to block the blades with his forearms. As a result, his forearms were wounded. "I wonder what expression you'll have, kukuku. Hmm? You're going to give your all in a single strike? Are you sure abo-"

Tatsumi rushed forward and delivered a strike, which was barely blocked by Zank and hit him by the cheek.

"Master executioner my ass!" Tatsumi's back suddenly spewed out blood from a wound inflicted by Zank at the moment he attacked. "You didn't even try to aim for my neck!"

"What a cruel man." Saitama said as he went in between the two and prepared to flick Zank away. "Oh, you're going to flick me away? What a pitiful man to try something so drastically difficult to do! Go on, I'll respect your wi-" Before he could finish his sentence, Zank flew towards the monument, crashing through it.

"I thought you'd be a bit more powerful." Saitama said. "I guess I'll just have to give you a beating. Why are you people so troublesome…"

"This…asshole." Zank said as he stood up. "So it seems the brutal outcome of his attacks were true… **bastard** "

"I guess you do look more durable than the others I guess. That's good enough" Saitama said as he picked up Tatsumi. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"My job's to protect these guys. Can't have em killed or else they'll kick me out." Saitama pointed at him. "Maybe you should prepare, too."

"Why would I-"

A katana fell from the sky. The image of a girl with jet black hair was produced by the blood moon's light. She landed, took the katana, and prepared a stance.

"Your psychological warfare was impressive. Saitama, you take care of him. I'll tend to his wounds later." Akame smiled.

"Clearsight!" Zank saw through Akame's clothes and knew Akame hid no weapons. "I've always wanted to fight you, Akame of the Murasame."

"Same. You are my target, after all."

"Careful, Akame, that guy can see your thoughts!" Tatsumi shouted.

"I see. However, if you can see it but cannot counter it, then your ability's useless" Akame rushed forward and exchanged attacks with the serial killer in a speed that surely no normal human can follow. Indeed, both respected the skills of one another.

"Huh, it became silent?" Saitama said as Akame closed her eyes. "Oh, you've cleared your mind! Splendid! However, my relic can see through your muscle movements, making it close to predicting the future! You-"

Akame reacted with a speed faster than before. However, Zank successfully blocked with two blades. "I see you!"

He slashed downwards, creating cracks on the floors and delivering a small wound to Akame's leg.

"Say, Akame. How do you deal with the voices of your victims? I sure block em out by talking, but after my prison job, the pestering intensified."

"It's simple, I don't hear them."

"Tsk, I thought you would relate since you're an assassin and all. I guess this pain is mine alone to understand. How sad! Illusight!" The relic on his forehead, which kept opening and closing ever since he fought, suddenly opened once more.

"Eh? What's happening?" Saitama said as he saw Akame's eyes enlarge. Tatsumi kept calling out to Akame, who wouldn't respond.

"She's currently with her most loved one. Oh, how fun is it to open up memories and let them experience love! And that's the most vulnerable position anyone can be!" Zank leaped and tried to deliver an attack. However, Akame delivered her own attack.

"Wh-Why would you do that!" Zank shouted. "Don't you love them?"

"It's _because_ I love them that I gave them a swift death."

Akame declared that the battle has finished, before rushing towards the murderer. Realizing his weapon was cracked, Zank retaliated desperately. Both exchanged attacks. Despite the advantage of knowing the opponent's next move, having a weaker weapon backfired. His blades broke and Akame was able to give a swift, final strike to his neck with the word: Eliminate.

"The voices…are stopping. Splendid. My thanks, Akame…" the man's parting words were spoken before he let out one dying breath.

"Well, that was a fun battle." Saitama smiled. "Reminds me of my earlier days."

"You could've easily eliminated him. Once more, you've shown your pacifism."

"Yeah, no. I did flick him to a nearby statue. "

"Tell me, Saitama, what should you do if I didn't come?"

"Kicked his ass, as always. Even if he did look a bit unstable, he could be treated in a hospital."

"…I see you still wouldn't change." Akame said as she silently left.

"Huh, I guess the encounter was a bit underwhelming. Alright, let's go Tatsumi." Saitama put Tatsumi's injured body on his shoulder and jumped.

"Stop treating me like luggage dammit!"

000

"Tatsumi's training with the girl with the glasses next, huh." Saitama said as he brought down a dish of breakfast.

"Yes, surprisingly, Tatsumi is famous with older girls." Najenda said in a particularly good mood.

"Me too! I wanna train Tatsumi next!" Leone said with enthusiasm.

"Damn, Tatsumi's a lucky guy! What a jerk!" Lubbock said as he stressfully held his head.

"I guess you could say Tatsumi's… **a lady killer** " The boss said, much to their chagrin.

"Well he does **slay** the looks" Saitama smugly said as he sat on his chair with a mug.

"I see you're a man of culture, Saitama" Najenda said as both chuckled.

As they spoke of the meat the average Night Raid woman consumes, which is a large amount, a strong noise was heard.

"An explosion? Let me take a look." Saitama said as he went out, with the other members following him.

"What is going on?" Saitama said as he discovered the origin of the noise. Everything was burnt. In the middle of the fires was a skeleton of massive proportions. So massive, in fact, that even Night Raid would have a problem with containing such a danger beast.

"Hmm, this pattern looks familiar…" Saitama said as he gazed at the severely burnt area a kilometer away from the base.

"The-The strings are moving? There's an intruder nearby!" Lubbock said as he retracted the wires. "Everyone, get ready to fight. This guy sounds tough."

"Wait, this is too familiar. I think I've seen this fire before."

"Could it be…a creature from your world?" Akame said as they prepared a defensive circle.

"Sounds like your place is interesting, Saitama!" Leone said as she prepared her Imperial Relic.

"What's happening here?" Bulat shouted as he arrived.

"There was a massive explosion, and the culprit is nearby."

"Are you sure this isn't Mine's work?" Bulat asked as he looked for the twin-tailed girl.

"We're not sure, but what reason would Mine have to do this?" Najenda said.

"Good point. In any case, we need to prepare." Bulat transformed to Incursio's armor and prepared his own stance.

"He's getting nearer. Get ready." Lubbock said as he grit his teeth. Everyone except Saitama had an ominous feeling of what was to come.

"Oh, I remember."

Saitama turned. "There is someone in my world who can make this much firepower in an instant. He's-"

"Master, I've finally found you." A young voice said behind him. Night Raid reacted quickly with their own attacks towards a cyborg fairly known as demonic in nature and a disciple of the caped baldy. The cyborg fired his palms downward, accelerating him upward and landing in front of his master.

"Where have you been, master?" the cyborg said. His shirt was visibly tattered and a glowing light showed through his body.

"Eh? He was talking with Saitama?" Lubbock said as he looked at the strange person.

"Oh, Genos, you're in tatters. Have you been in a fight?"

"Yes. Ever since master disappeared, I tried finding the culprit, and I did. I fought him until he brought me to this unknown place."

"So you too were dragged here, huh. Is it you alone?"

"I believe not, master. The man had contributed with the disappearance of some heroes, monsters, and criminals."

"Saitama…is he your Imperial Arms?" Najenda said as she looked at Genos, who barely looked human with his clothes nearly ripped off.

"Oh, I haven't introduced him to you, have I? This is Genos, my…disciple" Saitama reluctantly declared. He would rather not introduce him that way, but he was sure Genos himself would say that.

"You… you were trying to eliminate me, correct? Would you like for me to eliminate you first?" Genos glared as he raised his palm towards them.

"Woah, Genos. They're good guys, I guess."

"If you say so, master." The cyborg obeyed as he lowered his palm. "This forest is crawling with dangerous beasts, master."

"Yeah, and I've been trying to eliminate them since day 1, but I guess they're good food sources so don't do that."

"Yes."

"Oh, he's not an Imperial arm or whatever. He's just a cyborg"

Leone tilted her head. "Cyborg?"

"Yeah, he's a human in a robot body."

"Robot?"

"It's…difficult to explain."

"Anyway" Najenda said. "he said that he will eliminate us. He's surprisingly different in morals compared to you."

"Yeah, I guess that part hasn't changed, but he's a professional hero like me."

"Master how do you know these people?" Genos asked.

"They let me live here for free." At the mention of these words, Genos dropped on his hands and knees.

"Thank you for caring of my master" he said with respect.

"He's a loyal and caring for his master, huh. What a loyal disciple" Bulat said as he crossed his arms. "kinda cute too."

"No need to thank us, Genos." Najenda said. "In this corrupt society we live in, we weaklings need to work together to survive."

"Ah, but master isn't weak."

"Yes, we've seen that firsthand" Bulat said.

"I see. Master, you've finally gotten the recognition you deserved."

"Actually, I'm a fugitive right now for fighting an Imperial guard, and these guys are assassins working for a revolution or something."

"I see. Might I ask what those people looked like?" Genos asked with a murderous look in his face. "I'll be asking how they're living their lives."

"No need to do that." Lubbock said. "They've been killed a few days ago by Saitama."

"Impossible. Master would never kill."

"Well, the guy did become a monster." Saitama said as he scratched his cheek.

"I see. Then what are your plans, master?"

"That reminds me, Genos. Can you guard this place from monsters? I'll be doing hero work around the capital."

"Understood, Master."


	4. Inkling of power

"Master, I detect a floating giant life form approaching the Eastern wall of the capital. On the Western side is another land-based giant life form. I believe by the size alone, the former is a dragon level monster while the latter is a high demon monster. I request your assistance in exterminating the former."

"I guess there are things we could do here." Saitama smirked as he prepared his hero suit.

"Eh? Where are you going at such an early time?" Leone yawned. "Did boss have an emergency order not concerning us?"

"Master is the ideal hero who cannot let civilians get hurt."

"I've seen that for a few times already."

"Yes, and right now there is a massive threat to the people. As professional heroes, it is our duty to protect these civilians." Genos frowned and looked down. "Even if the law calls him a criminal and the public disapproves of his ways, he still does these things for them. How can I be someone as compassionate and heroic as master Saitama?"

"Genos, you're wasting too much time." Saitama said with a wrinkled brow. "Are we going or what?"

"Yes, sir!" Genos said as if he was a soldier from the military.

"What's the commotion for?" Tatsumi said as he exited his room.

"Well" Leone said as she pointed to the door. "Those guys were doing some hero work or something."

"Hmm, come to think of it, I haven't seen Saitama in action before. If what Genos was saying is true, then Saitama must be like those justice heroes, right?"

"As if we can call him that with that aloof face of his" Leone laughed. "Well, I've already woken up. Wanna see what they've got?"

"Yes!"

"Then we better go now. They seem to be fast runners." Contrary to her assumption, as you, the readers, are familiar with, Saitama **never** arrived early.

000

"There it is." Genos said as he ran with the style his master had taught him: normally. He was running on the wall of the capital itself, which was already on the verge of breaking due to the monster's weight.

"Dammit, if the monster continues to climb, the wall will collapse. Once that happens, countless civilians will be buried alive in the rubble. That will not happen… **not on my watch**."

"Woah, it really is huge!" a womanly voice said beside him.

"You're…"

"The beautiful girl from Night Raid: Leone! Nice to meet you, Genos." Leone said. She had transformed accordingly to her Imperial Arms form.

"Why are you here? Civilians should evacuate at times like these."

"Eh? But I just want to watch…" Leone smiled. "Maybe I could be of help, too!"

Genos paused for a moment before coming to a decision. "Very well, you will evacuate the civilians and soldiers near the monster. I will attack him."

"Eh? But we're enemies with the soldiers?"

"Think of it this way then" Genos muttered. "Those soldiers you kill are entirely different from those who will die right now. Those you kill accept their deaths because they protected your targets. On the other hand, these men are equally in danger with the civilians. They will forget their duties as soldiers, but heroes wouldn't do that. **If heroes run and hide, who will stay and fight?** "

"Alright, admiral!" Leone saluted. "See you later~" Leone leaped down from the high walls and disappeared with the chaotic crowd beneath.

Genos powered his palms and blasted himself to the skies. He viewed the monster from a bird's eye view and gathered information about it.

"Estimated demon level monster: giant octopus; Tentacles: 250 meters long; estimated area: 1000 square meters; estimated weight: 500 tons; Weaknesses: Soft body, Eyes, and beak; Verdict: **Eliminate** "

Genos activated the boosters on his back and palms and accelerated towards the wall near the tentacles.

" **Incinerate** " Genos muttered as he opened his palms to unleash a destructive, fiery power that turned the tentacles above the wall to burnt octopus meat. The monster screeched at the attack, but this did not help it from stopping the cyborg of justice. Genos went to the tentacles still connected to the monster and punched the inside of the tentacle cups. There, he unleashed a powerful burst of energy that travelled throughout the insides of the tentacles and lighted up the other suction cups before exploding. The monster screeched once more and tried to hit Genos with a damaged tentacle. Genos accelerated to the octopus' eye.

" **Machine gun Blows** " Genos said as he unleashed a barrage of attacks that not only blinded the durable eye of the monster, but also completely destroyed it, revealing only a socket from the bloody mess. Genos blasted himself to the Octopus' head and accelerated downwards, hitting the monster's head and stunning it.

"What a damn stubborn monster!" Genos said as he fell past the other eye of the monster. " **Rocket punch** " Genos curved his fist and sent his lower arm towards the monster's eye, blinding the monster in both eyes successfully. Genos glided on the wall and landed near the monster's beak.

"It's finally calmed down" Genos said as the monster weakened from the damages it received from Genos. Genos generated energy to his arms and the boosters on his back. He rushed to the monster's beak and released the incredibly destructive energy from his palms to the monster's stomach. The monster bloated due to the amount of energy before the heat eventually tore open holes through the monster's skin before a massive explosion of octopus meat occurred.

The fire immediately exploded upward, like a makeshift volcano. The power of the explosion was so strong that the sound echoed through the forests and the walls of the empire.

"Target: eliminated" Genos stated mercilessly as he looked at the handiwork he had done. Compared to his self when he fought the deep sea king, he felt much more powerful.

"Dr. Stench's latest upgrades could let me take on powerful demon level monsters. After the upgrade to go against the pesky ninja, it seems my strength has been increased as well. Dr. Stench truly is a scientist of justice."

As the smoke cleared, a dumbfounded Leone revealed herself.

"Thank you for assisting in rescuing the civilians."

"No, it's no big deal. Some civilians were unconscious to begin with, and the soldiers didn't recognize me during the commotion. What you said was true."

"I see. Then I must hurry to master Saitama to assist him as well."

"W-wait a minute" Leone said. "That power was…awesome!"

"What are you saying? This power is nothing compared to Master Saitama's"

"Oh nonsense, you've been straight up flying the whole time with fire and destruction everywhere!"

Genos smirked at his new fan's admiration. "I see you're considering my power as spectacular, but I would like to say that this is nothing to master's strength." Genos looked to the west part of the wall, where a massive cloud-like entity covered the skies and casted its shadow on the wall. "I'm nowhere near master's level."

000

"W-what…the hell is that?" Tatsumi said with an expression of hopelessness. Such an expression could be explained by the massive anomaly in front of him that challenged what he thought was powerful and weak. "So…big…"

"Oh, so that's the monster Genos was talking about." Saitama said as he looked at the dark skies. Floating extremely high above the wall was a vast, squid-like monster with a visible eye looking down at the glory of the capital itself. In fact, it was big enough to rival the size of the entire capital itself, if only it was not short of a few hectares in area. It cast its massive shadow on the flourishing capital, making all the corruptions within it seem trivial. Indeed, it is a dragon level monster.

"It's over…" Tatsumi said as he kneeled in despair. "No human can destroy a thing like that."

"Who decided that?" Saitama said as he walked forth. "It's just a colossal squid. They're always on documentaries in my tv."

"Saitama, stop!" Tatsumi shouted. "Are you blind? You can't even hit something so high up, much less defeat it!"

"Then what do you suggest." Saitama asked as he looked at Tatsumi.

"We could…we could evacuate the area. This isn't something even something as powerful as the empire can take alone."

"Nah, that'd take too much time." Saitama said as he continued walking. "Ah, something's happening up there."

Tatsumi looked to the wall and saw cannons and mortars shooting directly at the monster.

"The empire's fighting…but I don't even know if the attacks are going to stop that thing."

"Keep firing, we should kill it before this unknown danger beast gets near the emperor!" a voice shouted. On the wall stood a man of an incredibly muscular structure, with spiky blond hair and blue eyes, and clad in heavy armor and a cape.

"G-general Budo, you shouldn't be this near. You might be kil-"

"I lead the defense forces of the empire. Naturally, I would not put myself in the front lines if we were against armies but…this is no army we're fighting. It's a danger beast like any other." Budo, the commander-in-chief of the empire's army said in a calm and collected manner. "The empire has been able to train many danger beasts and utilized them as weapons of war. If we're capable of obtaining such a powerful asset, we can turn the tides of war against the revolutionary army."

Budo charged his Imperial Arms: Adramelech. "Let's see if this danger beast can take a hit or two."

The wind's velocity became faster. The clouds gathered around the monster, until it had nearly completely covered it. An ominous sound began to rumble as the commander-in-chief glared at the Imperial threat.

" **Lightning Crash** " Budo muttered as a powerful lightning strike electrocuted the giant beast from above. The flash of light was so powerful that it lit the area that was previously darkened by the shadows.

"This attack was powerful enough to take the lives of countless danger beasts before. I greatly trust its power but…" Budo gazed once more at the behemoth, which **didn't flinch a bit**. "not all danger beasts can be as tough as you, bastard."

Budo clenched his fists and grit his teeth as he charged his gauntlets once more. As he did so, a surge of electricity enveloped his body before he began to float in mid-air.

"I'll have you taste the power of the empire, **beast** "

Budo travelled at lightning speed until he reached the altitude directly above the monster. **"Take this** "

Budo boosted himself downwards and pound his fists towards the monster. If the monster's skin was land, it could have caused an earthquake. Each of Budo's strike, which was enhanced by the lightning around them, merely slightly deformed the skin of the monster.

"This tough skin could produce good armor for the capital, but if we can't kill you, we can't have it." Budo said as he held his gauntlet in front of him.

" **Advent of Thunder emperor** " the soldier said. In one split-second, massive pillars of lightning formed and struck the monster in every direction, which certainly caught its attention. The monster shrieked as it sent its tentacles to take care of the man.

"Too slow." Budo seemingly teleported at lightning speed, easily avoiding the eight massive tentacles the monster moved. Budo stopped his dodging and firmly stomped his feet to the monster's flesh. He raised his fists and countered every attack of the monster.

"Is it my imagination…or is this monster _going faster_?" Budo thought as he began to block the attacks at lightning speed. However, the monster kept up with his speed and began to deliver attacks with more speed and power than previously. Budo clicked his tongue and levitated away from the squid.

"This beast is…different." Budo summoned dark lightning orbs several times larger than himself. "To think I would be pushed to a challenge is surprising, beast. You have my praise."

Budo sent his orbs towards the colossal squid in an attempt to damage the monster. However… **it caught the orbs with its suction cups.**

"Im…possible" The soldier, who was battle hardened and hardly surprised at any situation, was shocked at such an action. The squid absorbed the orbs and rotated its body to reveal an eye that stared daggers at its opponent.

"You mean to tell me you've been acting through instinct with those tentacle attacks?"

The squid sent its larger, more massive arms towards the commander-in-chief at such speed that they resembled giant whips. Budo smashed his pistons together in an attempt to defend himself from the attack, but that was not enough to stop its momentum. Budo was sent to a building near the capital, bursting holes through a few walls.

"There's no mistake. This must be one of the super legendary danger beasts the Imperial Arms were created from. If we're able to gather its parts, surely we'll be able to create new weapons. However…"

Budo coughed blood as he stood up. "That's assuming we're capable of killing such a beast, no, **such a monster**." As Budo thought of a plan to exterminate of the monster, the squid spread its tentacles and revealed its beak.

"What is it trying to do?"

As the beak opened, a deathly black fog surrounded its body while a powerful vacuum sucked in everything it saw, beginning with the debris and corpses of the buildings.

"I see. So it's begun to collect power." Budo smiled. "But to do so, it had to reveal its weakest spot."

Budo leaped and levitated until he was directly in front of the monster's beak. He clashed the pistons together as he raised them both to the skies.

" **Solid shooter** " he said as he released a dark lightning beam towards the monster. Due to the vacuum the monster had created, as well as its gaping beak, none of the electricity was wasted as it entered the mysterious being's body completely.

"This is my trump card. No man… **no being** should be alive after taking this directly."

The man maintained the beam's power as he grits his teeth while waiting for the monster to weaken. _Except… it didn't._

"It's moving…is it getting damaged or… **shit, it's advancing**." A drop of sweat rolled down Budo's temples. "It's impossible an attack of this caliber can be absorbed. Just… **what the fuck is this** "

Budo immediately clashed his pistons to protect himself from the approaching beak that was going to peck him. Still, it was not effective. The commander-in-chief flew towards the streets and collided to the ground like a meteor.

"Such power…what is happening to the capital? Is this the result of the minister's corruption? Is this karma for what the empire has done? My ancestors have told me about the nation's greatness before **his** ruling. **Is this how the world exacts revenge against its most powerful nation?** "

"Oh, could it be that you're here too, King?" A blank voice stated beside him. Budo looked at the standing man, whose face was unrecognizable.

"Who…are you?" Budo, who was barely conscious, said.

"Oh, I mistook you for someone else. Sorry." Saitama scratched the back of his head. "I'm a professional hero. Your armor and power tells me you're either part of the revolutionary group or the empire, right?"

"Use your head. If I was part of that damned rebel group, I wouldn't even be inside the capital grounds"

"Well, if night raid can do it, anyone could."

"Are you a rebel sympathizer? I would capture you right here right now, but I don't even have the ability to perceive you."

"Oh, good luck healing." Saitama said as he stood up. As he stood, Budo saw his face clearly as it contrasted with the chaotic background which is the squid's ghastly formed, which had become more terrifying due to the miasma surrounding it. "What a blank expression you show."

Saitama bent his knees and jumped upward in a blink of the eye. The monster's eyeballs turned to the shining bald head of the hero as he approached the squid's body. The squid noticed this and sent its arms and tentacles to stop the speeding Saitama. However, he went through the thick muscles of the monster and went straight to the main body of the monster like a bullet.

"I miss Ika somen." (a squid soup dish)

" **Consecutive normal punches** " Saitama gave his signature punches to the eye. The usual happened. The clouds Budo's Adramelech had summoned were wiped out in less than a second. The monster's body was reduced to massive chunks of seafood as the strength of the punches tore hundreds of holes at the body. After the attack, a wide ranged rain of blood fell on the whole capital.

"I can't believe this. This must be a dream…" Budo said as he lost consciousness. Saitama landed on the wall as blood and gore fell from the heavens. "At least it didn't destroy many buildings this time" Saitama muttered to himself as he recollected the events of the meteor before he walked home.

"Incredible." Tatsumi muttered as he gazed at the blood-stained environment. "Saitama took it down with less effort than that man. It's terrifying and fascinating at the same time." Tatsumi looked at Saitama and wrinkled his forehead. "Saitama…it seems we've been underestimating you all this time."

000

"Budo!" the assassin group shouted unanimously.

"Oh, is that the guy's name?" Saitama raised his brow. "Was he a friend or something?"

"He is the highest ranking general of the entire empire." Najenda said. "Due to his rank, strength, and power, he is a highly respected man in the empire. Not only does he have the entire army at the palm of his hands, but his Imperial Arms that holds the power of lightning makes him a terrifying man to face. I can't believe someone like him would lose to a danger beast, but intel would say otherwise."

"Yeah, he did land to the ground like a comet." Tatsumi said. "Still, I don't want to be on that guy's bad side"

"If what you're saying is true, then that would mean…Saitama, you're much more powerful than we'd thought."

Saitama shrugged. "I'm strong enough to do the job, that's all."

"Eh?" Mine noticed Genos writing on a notebook. "What are you doing there? You're surprisingly effeminate for a guy."

"Master Saitama's words…they're showcasing such humility. Why do you accept such a lonely path, master?"

"There you go again with your loyalty" Leone said with a smile. "Still, it's surprising how strong you guys are without Imperial Arms."

"Would you like to hear our stories?" Genos said, which made a vein in Saitama's head pop.

"Please, do so. We're very interested in your power that rivals that of the Imperial Arms."

"Alright then, I became a hero of justice after Dr. Kuseno turned me to a cyborg after a mad cyborg attacked my hometown at the tender age of 15. Master saved my life and the lives of other countless times. Master, on the other hand, is a hero who, after his training, became a strong man capable of beating his opponents in one punch."

"That's it? I could've expected a longer back story" Lubbock said.

"Yes, it is Master Saitama's teaching that, if I could, I should only shorten my sentences to twenty words or less."

"Well, what did we expect of Saitama?" Leone jokingly said.

"You mentioned training. Can you specify it?" Tatsumi, eager to follow the routine to be stronger, said.

"I would say but…" Genos looked at Saitama, who waved his hand in disagreement. "Master will reveal it if he wants to."

"These incidents of weird monsters keep appearing at the capital as well. According to intelligence reports, it's been on the rise ever since Saitama came to this world" Lubbock said as he took a piece of paper from his pocket. "Just yesterday, there's been a half boar half man, a giant spider with human legs, and a bird with two faces on its wings. Honestly, it's like a three year old's imaginary friends coming to life."

"Then I will make sure to eliminate them as well." Genos said in a serious tone. "Master Saitama might be a fugitive in a capital, that's why I will act as his representative of justice for the people."

"I see." Najenda touched her chin. "Since you aren't really a fugitive yet, you may move freely around the capital."

"We've given you information of our pasts. Now it's your time to mention yours. What is the exact goal of this group?"

"Since you've kept it simple and short, we will as well. We, Night Raid, are part of the Revolutionary Army stationed within the capital to act as intelligence and assassins. We're going to spearhead the revolution."

"For what reason is this revolution you speak of?"

"The empire isn't as glorious as you think." Bulat said grudgingly. "The corruption within them has turned it to a land of paranoia, where you hope you don't get at the empire's bad side **at best**."

"Every single day, the nobles who have strong connections to the empire abuse their privileges and continually attack the masses." Akame said. "They've done crimes against humanity, and the abused had finally figured that starting the empire anew would rid of them once and for all."

"I see. Then what are your thoughts on these, Master Saitama?" Genos turned to look at Saitama, who just now noticed how well crafted the structure of the fort is.

"Oh, well, I don't condone them for wanting to make a better society or whatever, but I think killing is a bit too far."

"Indeed, Saitama has already proven that his morals do not match with ours." Najenda said with an accepting face. "So we let him have his way and act as the guard of the base, which he has done greatly so far."

"What do you think, Genos? Someone of your caliber and sense of justice resonates perfectly with us!" Leone said as she tried to convince the cyborg. "With you, we will definitely be able to stop the empire in no time!"

"I refuse." Genos adamantly declared. "Even if I have the mindset to eliminate people who are scum and trash of society itself, if Master Saitama's own morals say it as undesirable, then as a disciple of Caped Baldy, I will follow."

After saying these words, the whole group silence before breaking into laughter.

"I didn't say something funny. Why are you laughing?" Genos said, much to Saitama's chagrin.

"It well suits your _master_. HAHAHA" Mine shouted with tears in her eyes. "Oh, my tummy aches so badly."

"SO WHAT IF I'M BALD, DAMMIT." Saitama yelled as he silently cursed the Hero Association once more for giving his disciple a hero name that can create fan clubs with a mere mention of it, while he has one of the lamest names in the association. "Seriously, what were they thinking?"

"In any case, we respect your decision, Genos. If you wish, you may join Night Raid in their missions as body guards when things get out of hand."

"I see. I will consider that thought. Firstly, I would like to discover more about the empire and its geographical characteristics. Is there a nearby library to get the information?"

"Ah, manager has one." Saitama said as he recollected his first encounter with Lubbock. "It is quite dusty but, well, it is a library."

"Leone, Tatsumi, Mine, and Sheele are going to the capital later to perform missions in the evening. You can go with them if you wish." Najenda said.

"I see. I only need to get a few maps and a bird's eye view of the surrounding to have a copy in my system."

"You're pretty advanced, huh. I can't believe you're still a human." Tatsumi was very bewildered by Genos' body.

"It is thanks to Dr. Kuseno that I can live a normal life like before. Excuse me." Genos said as he went outside and blasted himself to the top of the mountain the base hid on. He boosted himself upwards and perceived the land within a ten kilometer radius.

"I see his presence has vanished" Genos muttered to himself as he descended from the skies. "That man…just how far did he send us?"

000

A palm slammed against a nearby wall as the demon cyborg faced a woman. "You were talking about how cheap your vegetables were a while ago. Why was the change you have given me 5 silver pieces short?"

"Oh, whatever do you speak of?" The girl said as she deliberately avoided Genos' intimidating gaze.

"The nerve of you…"

"If you don't give it to him, I can't assure you your safety ya know?" the blonde assassin said to the girl as she winked.

"Oh, Leone, you know this weird guy?" the girl smiled. Genos turned his head and noticed her presence.

"Yeah, and if you know how strong this beautiful girl is, then multiply it to a hundred for him!" Leone said as she flexed her arms to show her strength. The girl immediately followed by taking a small pouch and giving Genos the 5 silver coins.

"You better be more careful in buying through these parts, boy. We are the slums of the empire, after all." The girl said, while Genos expressed his annoyance. "The attitudes of these people are undesirable."

"Oh, don't be so stern, Genos!" Leone said as she wrapped her one arm around her and another arm around Tatsumi. "This is where I grew up. The place which, no matter how glorious an empire is, cannot be erased. The slums!"

"So this is the place you grew up, Big sis Leone?" Tatsumi asked. "No wonder it's so rowdy."

As they walked through the town, They heard praises coming from the masses.

"Mind massaging me later, Leone?"

"Leone, thanks for doing the errand!"

"Big sis Leone, let's play!"

"Ah, the praise these people give always lifts my spirits up." Leone said with a grin on her face. "Don't you think so, Genos?"

"The place master and I live in is usually so deserted and silent. Being here is like being in a loud market place for me." Genos said as he gazed at the joyful faces of the people. "Still, it's surprising to see this liveliness when you imply that the empire is overflowing with corruption."

"Well, we didn't imply that the empire was completely overflowing; just the nobles and its government itself." Leone suddenly frowned. "And they're lively not because they're at peace, but because they want to live positively. It's true that we're the ones who tend to be oppressed the most but we would rather survive and look forward to the light of the next morning. But I promise to them: they will gain that freedom. I will make it so, even if I have to dirty my hands. That's why I joined Night Raid. I want the slums to be forever happy."

"There she is!"

"Pay us what you owe, Leone!"

"Oh crap they're here!" Leone blurted out as she turned to the opposite direction and ran. Naturally, Tatsumi followed, but Genos leaped to the skies and gathered the necessary information he wanted to create a comprehensive map of the area.

"Slums area; Total population: 750,000; Land area: 50, 000 square meters; Status: Overpopulated; Description: It is a lively gathering of peddlers that sells several cheap condiments, tools, and other objects of low to moderate quality. Oppression of the authorities is not rare. Master Saitama might want a few cheap products here so I must take note of the items being sold."

Genos descended and landed on a nearby roof. He scanned the area to find his acquaintances.

"There is the man named Tatsumi and…an Imperial guard?" Genos leaped forward to the teen's location.

"Tatsumi." Genos said as he approached the two.

"Oh, is that your friend?" the girl with orange hair and clad in armor said as she looked at the man. "Wow, that armor looks expensive. Where did you buy that, sir?"

Genos ignored the girl's question. "I have finished scanning the area from above. Where is the blonde girl?"

"Hey, don't just ignore me!" the girl pouted as she hated the feeling.

"You are an Imperial soldier, am I mistaken?" Genos said in a straightforward manner.

 _Genos, you're making us suspicious!_

"Oh, yes I am! I am the soldier of justice, Seryu Ubiquitous. It's nice to meet you…"

The two stood there in silence.

"Uhm, what's your name?"

"Oh, you were asking for my name? I am Genos. Let us go, Tatsumi." Genos said as he walked forth, completely ignoring the girl once more.

"Wait a minute. I'm the one in patrol here!" the girl said as she blocked the duo's way. "Didn't I say 'don't ignore me' a while ago?"

"Hmm? Is that a dog?" Tatsumi and Genos looked at the organism that looked like an anthropomorphic dog than a real one.

" _I saw that in the book of Imperial Arms before. Does that mean…"_ Tatsumi thought as he looked intently at Seryu, who maintained a cheerful face.

"That isn't a dog." Genos said as he analyzed the organism. "In fact, it doesn't look like a regular organism. What is it?"

"He's what people call an Imperial Relic." Seryu lifted Koro with her arms. "I call him Koro. Previously, his users were incompatible with him, so they tested the lower ranks as well. When Koro noticed my passion for justice, he _chose_ me as his owner. Now, he's my partner in crime; without the crime, of course!"

"He seems so weak, but he's actually an incredibly powerful tool, is he not?" Genos said to the girl.

"Don't be so harsh by calling him a too. But I must admit, once he gets in battle mode, no one can stop him!"

"I see. I've noticed its capability to change shape by the material it's made, as well as the various weapons inside it."

Seryu looked at Genos with both surprise and killing intent. It was clear that the man was not normal, which made him all the more suspicious.

"Could it be that you have Imperial Arms as well?"

"If I am, what will you do?"

The two stared daggers at each other. Indeed, all that lacked was for Seryu to label him as suspicious and the empire will treat him as a monster. However, Seryu was never one to call out people as part of the revolutionaries unlike her colleagues. She swung her head to the other direction in annoyance.

"I believe this is the place you described." Seryu said as she looked at Tatsumi. "I hope you find your friend then, and…"

The girl looked at Genos once more with a deadly glare. Genos, on the other hand, gave his own intimidating gaze at her. "I hope you are not tainted by any _evils_ , sir."

"I wish your passion for justice will forever be set ablaze, miss."

The girl left without uttering another word, while the Imperial Relic she carried looked at Genos with a bewildered look.

"Finally, she went away." Tatsumi sighed. "Genos, don't be so eager to fight. You'll blow your cover."

"It doesn't matter. I can take her on, anytime" Genos said proudly as he slightly activated his incineration cannons. "Her sense of justice has been corrupted. She reminds me of my former self in my first encounter with Master Saitama: full of anger and passion against evil."

"Even so, you better take it easy or it'll be trouble for us all."

"I will be exploring the other parts of the capital to report to Master Saitama. Continue your missions without me."

"Understood." Tatsumi smiled as he waved goodbye to Genos, who ran towards a creek that divides the capital into its many districts.

000

"What was that sound? Is it a monster?" Genos muttered as a strong howl was heard. "It came from over there. I must investigate this."

As Genos ran through the forest-like biome of the picnic, his vision caught a few familiar figures.

"Those are two of Night Raid's assassins." Genos said as he looked at Mine, who covered her ears from the sonic howl. "And that's…she's the Imperial police girl from earlier! I see. They're battling each other. Government vs rebel. Empire vs Revolutionaries. Master Saitama, what should I do?"


	5. Water you waiting for?

"I must not interfere with their squabbles. This is a battle between law and rebellion, not of heroes and monsters." Genos thought as he decided to watch the battle from a distance by leaping to the topmost part of a nearby clock tower. "I sense metal within the Imperial police girl's body. Is it possible that she's a cyborg like me? If she is, she isn't as advanced unlike the world Master Saitama lives in."

Genos gazed at the battlefield and noticed a familiar entity. "That being…that seems to be the pet of that bitch. I knew it could shapeshift, but it can change muscle mass and density as well, without even showing the weapons within it. That is a borderline monster."

"Extase!" A voice was heard as a bright light covered the area.

"What's this?" Genos installed a lens filter on his eyes, allowing him to gaze at the brightness in full view. "Ordinarily, my eyes were improved to the point that it can see through pitch black darkness and blinding light. However, the luminosity of that weapon is too strong to handle. However, must admit that it doesn't reach the full capacity of my own power." Genos smiled as he felt a sense of superiority he couldn't feel as much in his previous world.

"This is the end." Sheele released a barrage of thrust attacks towards Seryu, who blocked them with her vambraces, which were thick enough to not be cut to shreds. Sheele's expression turned to that of irritation as her scissors could cut anything, and yet she was having trouble with simple armor. She switched attacks and turned to slower, stronger slashing moves.

With a grunt, the monstrous pet the police has looked at its owner and tried to assist her in exterminating the pest with the impractical, massive scissors, before a beam of light incinerated abdomen.

"Stop right there, spot. Don't you remember? I'm your enemy, not her." Mine said as she thought of increasing her Pumpkin's weapon power by deliberately putting herself in danger. The monster, as if on cue, healed the minimal wound and went straight towards the girl.

"I see they're extending their battle field to the woods." Genos said as he watched the battle between the purple-dressed girl and the armor-clad girl go on towards the forest-like biome of the park. "Fortunately, within the 150 meter radius of this battle ground, no notable citizens are in danger."

Genos watched as the two engaged in the battle until the girl let go of her guard.

"Crap!" Seryu shouted as Sheele discovered this fact. She rushed forward and, with a swing, confiscated the Imperial Police girl's lower arms from her.

"With her arms gone, she's completely vulnerable to the assassin's attacks. However…" Genos pondered as he zoomed his lenses towards the girl's wounds. "that girl…so she really does hide something."

"JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED" Seryu shouted with eyes mad with passion as she aimed her wounds towards Sheele. "THIS IS THE TRUMP CARD CAPTAIN OGRE HAS GIVEN ME! TASTE THIS!"

A gunshot echoed through the woods.

In front of the assassin girl was her tool of trade she utilized as a shield. With this, Najenda's description of Extase's durability is shown. Ignoring Seryu's expression of shock, Sheele took her scissors and swayed it in the air, effectively removing what was left of her arms. The girl's shriek of pain was heard for meters away.

"Not yet…" Seryu flashed a grin on her face. "He'll be unable to move for a few days. He will overheat as well, but I've got no choice."

"KORO. LAST RESORT: **BERSERKER"**

With those words, Koro, also known as **Hekatonkheires,** twisted its eyeballs in its socket like a rabid beast. The biological Imperial Relic's body radically changed, making its physique more muscular, its teeth more durable, and its body more massive. The bloodshot eyes of the anthropomorphic hound gazed at Night Raid's resident sniper before unleashing a howl so loud it temporarily held her vulnerable.

As Mine held her ears, the monster grabbed her with its massive arms.

"CRUSH HER" Seryu showed a malicious ear-to-ear grin as she ordered her pet.

Koro obeyed its master and strengthened its grip on the poor petite assassin. The grip, which could be compared to a mini hydraulic press that is much more muscular, broke Mine's arm in the process, making her scream in pain.

"Should I intervene?" Genos looked at the assassin, who wriggled to no avail. Before Genos could act, blood spilled as the arm of the Imperial Relic dropped. On the background was Sheele wielding her scissors. "No, wait! It's a-"

"Sheele!" Mine said in relief as she tried to stand.

"I made it in ti-" Sheele's words were cut short when she felt a sharp pain on her chest. Her eyes widened as she began to lose her balance. The origin of a gunshot came from Seryu Ubiquitous, who held her gaping mouth open, showing a gun nozzle deep inside her throat.

"That bitch. Just how many guns does she have?" Genos said as he looked at the monstrous woman.

As Sheele fell, a mouth layered with razor sharp teeth showed itself beside Sheele. "My body…won't move…" Sheele said as she began to realize her fate.

"JUSTICE IS SERVED" Seryu Ubiquitous shouted as her tool bit off the upper body of Sheele. The sight of her friend getting critically ravaged made Mine grit her teeth.

"You bitch…" Mine shouted with tears in her eyes in desperation of attacking the monster. "This broken arm won't stop me!"

However, before she could attack, a troop of soldiers encircled them.

"This shouldn't go any further!" Genos shouted as he launched himself upwards.

"Surround her! Don't lose sight of her!" One of the soldiers said as they surrounded her, and aimed their weapons at her. Mine looked around in attempt to find an escape route.

"It's too narrow. I can't…I can't escape this." Mine said as she tried to move; she grunted at the pain of her broken arm. "Sheele…we must survive!"

After saying these words, a bright light blinded the enemy. To them, the light so blinding was hellish to view, but to Mine, that light was heavenly. The light of her friend was gleaming so brightly even through her ill condition. The light did not remind her of the tool of the trade of the assassins; no, it reminded her of the friendship, the camaraderie she had, the sorority, **the family** she formed with her.

"Ex…tase…" Sheele muttered as drops of tears rolled on Mine's cheeks.

"That woman…she still has energy to provide this much light?" Seryu thought as she tried to block the light with her arms. "I must end her life right now, Ko-"

A strong force landed in front of the light. A humanoid figure had casted a shadow on everyone. However, that shadow was unrecognizable to anyone, including the Imperial police girl.

"You've done well. Nice fight." The voice stated as its origin looked at Sheele, who looked at him before sobbing. Losing the last ounce of strength she had, Sheele released hold of the scissors. The figure smiled before it took Mine on her shoulders. "It's time to end this."

" **Lightning Eye** "

After a mention of these two words, a light which was brighter than Extase's overflowed the area. It was so bright in fact that it completely rendered the enemies temporarily blind.

"And for you" Genos said as he turned around. He accelerated towards the Imperial Arms, enabled boosters on his elbows, and punched the temples of the monstrosity with a blow comparable to his initial punch to the being known as the Sea King. It was so strong that the beast released its bite on Sheele's upper torso and sent its body going through the forest.

Genos caught Sheele's body and accelerated with his boosters towards Night Raid's base at an incredible speed.

"That light…isn't human." Seryu shouted as he rubbed her eyes in an attempt to see once more. "Dammit!"

Seryu opened her eyes and, though her perception only saw blurs, she saw her Imperial Relic in a devastating condition. Hekatonkheires had a large hole drilled by its cheeks, which revealed its layers of teeth. It showed regeneration, yes, but it was a really slow process that to the untrained eye, it would seem dead.

"Koro! How...HOW DARE THEY" Seryu shouted in rage as she threw a tantrum by stomping her feet. "Night Raid… **you will suffer**."

000

"What…what's going on?" Tatsumi said as he looked at the bloody mess that is Sheele. "Sheele…This is a joke, right? Sheele!"

"Tatsumi…everyone…you're here." Sheele muttered in a soft manner. The assassin group named Night Raid was on the verge of tears as their comrade lay on the ground with an ounce of life left.

"Who…did this?" Tatsumi said as he grit his teeth.

"That Imperial Police bitch from earlier." Genos muttered as he glared at the direction they came from. "It's surprising to think she'd have a monster for a pet."

"Dammit!" Tatsumi said as he stomped his feet.

"Tatsumi…don't be so mad…" Sheele said with a comforting voice, the same comforting voice she spoke with Tatsumi during his depression. "I just got a bit careless…that's all"

Her last, possibly most gentle smile imprinted itself to the battle-hardened group's hearts.

"Everyone…thank you for being there for me. When I became a criminal, I didn't know what to do. When you took me in, I was anxious. Who wouldn't be anxious when you're living with the most wanted criminals of the empire? However, you all changed that perspective. You showed that even when you've done cowardly sins, you can still be human. Despite having a cold heart that can take one's life, you still have room to spare to care about others. Even if we have some fancy quirks here and there, you accept each and every one. I'm blessed having you not as my comrades, but as my friends, my family.

Leone, I've always viewed you as a big sister. You're always caring for us, even though we aren't blood relatives. Bulat was a big brother who is always cool and wants to protect us. Mine is a great partner. Though you act differently to others, deep inside you're a true friend I treasure. Boss, you've shown me integrity far beyond what I've seen before. I look up to you very much. Akame is a good sister who's more serious than everyone in the group, but if anyone else saw your heart, it would be one of the biggest ones they've seen. Saitama, you were very aloof before, but you've shown us how courageous and strong you are. I still would like to think of you as a hero, even if you don't seem like it, hehe. Tatsumi, you've shown me my importance in this group. Thanks to you, I see how necessary I am to this group. I would like to comfort you again…but it seems I won't be capable of doing that in the future." She said before coughing out blood. The blood her body lost was too much. It wasn't long before she went to the afterlife.

"I'm so happy to be with you all before, and before I go away as well. Genos, thank you for giving me this opportunity. It's a privilege." Sheele smiled throughout her words, despite the pain she felt. Beads of tears began rolling on her cheeks. "My first time as a Night Raid member, my first time obtaining Extase…ah those memories are returning. If only we can rewind time...but that's not how it works…Everyone, take care. It's been nice knowing…you" Sheele flashed a wide grin before releasing her last breath, essentially succumbing to the pain and the blood loss.

"Sheele…Hey, wake up!" Tatsumi went to Sheele's lifeless body and shook her. He groveled in tears to it. "No, how can this be…"

"If only…if only I paid more attention to the battle…" Genos thought in subtle anguish. He knew he wasn't supposed to interfere since not only was he not assigned to be a bodyguard at that moment, but he also knew it was none of his business.

"You…" Tatsumi said as he held Genos by the collar. "Aren't you strong? Why didn't you stop them?"

Genos decided not to respond. After all, it was a burst of anger, of emotion.

"Aren't you going to say anything? If you joined them fight…if you showed them your power, Sheele would…" Tatsumi grit his teeth and prepared to the cyborg with his fist. "SHEELE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE"

A fist sent Tatsumi flying. "Tatsumi, man up, will you?"

"B-Bro…" Tatsumi looked at Bulat, who held his fist in disappointment of his subordinate.

"Tatsumi, don't you have any idea what you're going to do? You're pinning the blame on someone else."

"But… he let her die…"

"Sheele died because she was an assassin. Didn't we make it clear that we have no qualms claiming the responsibility for killing people? Genos and Saitama are not part of Night Raid. They may be body guards, but taking responsibility is the assassin's inevitable task."

"Still…"

"Genos and Saitama have affairs separate from Night Raid. In fact, like what Sheele said, it's a privilege to have her last moments by her friends. Don't you know who made that possible? That's the most he can do without interfering much, and we don't expect anything further than that unless he joins us. It's perfectly clear we're ready for anything like that to happen. We were aware before we joined it."

Tatsumi lowered his head. Bulat's reasoning went through him, making him divert his anger to Genos towards the empire.

"I'll take this anger and bring it to the culprit herself." Tatsumi clenched his fist.

"We're not letting you do that." Najenda said. "Tatsumi, nothing good ever came of revenge. If anything, it would bring more devastating casualties, and it might claim your life. Don't be so reckless. Sheele's our friend, that is true, but acting without logic is similar to suicide. You'll bring down not only yourself, but the entire revolution itself. It's not worth it."

"How dare she…" Mine said as she grit her teeth after witnessing the downfall of her friend. "I will be the one to do it. I WILL TAKE HER DOWN."

000

"Master…" The young cyborg said as he called out.

Saitama sat in front of three rocks, which represented three graves. He gazed at the massive cumulus clouds forming above the forests as a gentle gust of wind grazed his shiny scalp. "Oh, Genos. How long have you been there?"

"20 minutes."

"Seriously? You could have called out earlier, you know."

"No, I believe you were meditating in front of the assassins' graves. Disrupting your concentration would be disrespectful."

"Thanks for your concern, but I wasn't really meditating or anything." Saitama stood up and brushed the dirt and blades of grass on his hero suit. "I just figured I would rest a while after I killed some monsters back there. This was a great place to do that. Anyways, what did you want?"

"Yesterday, when I failed to follow your orders and protect the assassins, I realized that I lack not only power and speed, but awareness as well. If only had seen that outcome…if only I had responded…"

"Genos…"

"Master, what do you think of my situation as a superior hero?"

"I don't really have to say much though. The guy with the weird hair said enough, but as your master I'll just…um, add some tips?"

Genos knelt down and took a small notebook off his pockets. "I am ready, master."

 _Crap, he's treating this seriously._

"Ah. You did all you could at that moment." Saitama smirked as he went towards the cliff and sat. He dangled his legs in front of the height. "At that situation, you can't really control anything. They do start battles instead of talking it out, so things aren't always going to go as planned by both sides."

"Master…" Genos felt enlightened by his master's words as he paused from his extremely detailed writing, even though his master was completely making it up.

"It's like..."

 _Think, Saitama. An example that will give Genos enough inspiration that he can take this matter alone. But what kind of example? He obviously won't be satisfied with me just saying "when people fight, there's a misunderstanding between only them". Wait, that's just stupid! Need to think…_

As Saitama pinched his chin, he tried to think of the most realistic example he could give to his disciple…

 **And he came up with the most realistic lesson his brain had ever conceived**

"You know, Genos. Imagine two blind people cooking up a hotpot."

"Blind people?" Genos asked as he wondered what two blind people have in relation to his situation.

"Yes, and these blind people are cooking hotpot. In hotpot, you mix up ingredients, right? Well, these two blind people have different tastes, the other wants to add salmon and the other wants to add pork."

"Are they not going to mix it up?"

"Exactly, they'll mix it up! However, do you think one would be satisfied by getting what they didn't put in?"

"I see."

"Anyway, if they continue it, they'll eventually get what the other wanted and vice versa. Since they're blind too, they have no way to know if it's salmon or pork, other than tasting it. Do you understand?" Saitama explained as a drop of sweat rolled from his temples. A long, nagging silence existed between the master and the disciple.

"What you're trying to say is that people who have polar opposite beliefs and are close-minded to their enemy's own ideas will have conflict that cannot be controlled by anyone else. No matter how savory the salmon is or how delectable the pork is, if two people have different tastes, they will find the smallest bit of difference with each other. Splendid, Master. I have learned again today."

 _Thank goodness_

"Anyway, it's sad to see someone from the group die, but we can't really do anything about that right now. They're like heroes, except they kill people not monsters. In the end, there are casualties, right?"

"Unlike the chaotic mind of monsters, humans have relationships with their own kind. This includes passion and love. If one of their loved ones were to be the subject of humiliation or harm, it's natural that they will inflict vengeance upon them. That is, indeed, the true nature of man. However, heroes put aside these squabbles and do all they can to secure these citizens their safety. I see!"

"Now you're just pushing it." Saitama scratched his cheek. "It was sad to have the girl die, but, like they said, they chose this life and accept its consequences. Besides, you did put the casualties to a minimum. The pink-haired girl could've been killed, you know."

"I…I see."

"In any case, we should do our best in doing hero work here and guarding this place. Oh…you should take care of your identity, too."

"Identity?" Genos said as he looked at his master.

"Yeah, if they see you protecting them or even showing that you're against those soldiers, they'll probably call you a criminal as well. Did they see your face?"

"I doubt it, master. The girl wielding the scissors shone a bright light that blinded everyone when I arrived. Afterwards, I utilized my abilities to swiftly escape them."

"Oh, that's good." Saitama smirked. "Now, you can still buy from the marketplaces, right?"

"The marketplace's goods are too expensive, master. It is better to buy at the slums."

"Must be fun to freely buy things and live, huh."

"By the way, master"

"Hmm?"

"I have found a way to release you from your state as a criminal."

"Really?"

000

A bell rang as a wooden door opened. An Imperial guard covered his eyes to sleep with the hat that was part of the official uniform assigned to them by the empire. The place was neatly organized with several books of the greatest generals, captains, and kings of the empire. Most notably, the sketches of a particular obese man with white hair and beard along with a child, both clad in royal regalia, appeared prominently in an incredibly thick book. The soldiers were clearly proud of the empire in all its glory. It can be seen by the guts they have in posting several flags and framing up the coat of arms of the empire. The wooden floor squeaked as a metallic sound rang in front of the soldier.

"What can I get yo-" The guard shook. A man with an average height and blond hair stood in front of him. He looked like a normal edgy brat anyone would find in the streets, if it wasn't for his metallic pair of arms and the golden inhuman irises surrounded by darkness. The cyborg looked at him straight in the eyes with a serious expression on his face.

"Are you the soldier who is in charge of the caught convicts?"

"Y-yes. What is it that you want?" The man faltered in nervousness.

"I am here to turn in an enemy of the empire." He said in such a terrifying and cold voice that the soldier could only wonder who such a man can bring. Considering his first impressions, the soldier just _knew_ he had the potential to be a great soldier in the capital.

"So this is the empire's police department. It's kind of a mess, but whatever."

 _Th-this guy?_

The soldier looked at the bald man, who wore a yellow suit with a belt, a white cape, and matching red gloves and boots. He was... **underwhelming** and **bland**. His expectations were completely destroyed. Why would someone so intimidating bring a low class criminal?

"Here is the poster that states his current state." Genos said as he took a rolled sheet of paper from his pocket.

"Wanted for 8, 273 gold coins…issued by sir Romus and sir Dorbus…just what the hell did this guy do?" the man muttered to himself as he compared the sketch of the paper and the fugitive himself. "There's no mistake, it's this guy!"

The guard cleared his throat. "Okay, I will handle the award. For now, I should bring this man to the cells."

"That won't be necessary." Genos said in a straightforward manner.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I wish to make this man my slave."

"Oh, I see you've got the ethics of the capital as well." The guard grinned in a twisted manner. "From your eyes, I can tell how cruel and terrifying you are."

"This man is scum that needs to be taught a lesson." Genos said as his eyes glowed. "Do you know how I can turn him into my pet?"

"Hmm? Of course, of course. Hang on." The guard said as he went stood up and walked to a nearby filing cabinet. He pulled the drawer and took out a sheet of paper with several writings printed on it. He clipped it on a clipboard. The man went and wrote on some documents regarding the release of Saitama from his Wanted state.

"Here is the general information that is necessary to be filled up by you. You need only to pay the sum afterwards and we'll brand him as yours. Of course, because you caught a criminal with a bounty on his head, paying isn't necessary, so it's free."

Genos snatched the clipboard from his hand and gazed at it. "I see. Give me the pen so I can finish writing the information."

The man opened another drawer beneath his desk and took a quill pen before giving it to the cyborg. Genos, having enough practice due to writing his journals regarding his master, filled up the necessary information in a split-second. "I am finished."

The guard took the clipboard and removed the paper, revealing carbon paper beneath it. "I will give you this copy, and keep this one as a record of the transaction, in case the guy tries to run away, you know what I mean?"

"There's no need. Please give me that piece of paper."

"Are you sure? You'll lose all records of having him as a sla-" Before the man could finish, Genos took the paper and kept it in his pocket. "No worries, I can catch him by my own if he dares to escape."

The man looked at Genos and felt relieved, since Genos' glare tells him that it won't be easy to escape him. "I see. Then I have high hopes for your new slave then, sir."

Genos took Saitama by the cape and pulled him towards the exit. He left without saying a word to the man.

000

"Burning it already?" Saitama said as he looked at Genos burning the two sheets of paper by the riverbank.

"Yes. Because of these, I had to say rude words against master Saitama. That is beyond betrayal."

"Not really. It did set me free from it. Well, even so, you could've done something with it before you burnt it, like ordering me or something."

"That doesn't matter, master. I'm not worthy to order you around like a slave. In fact…" Genos pinched his chin. He turned around and walked to the direction of the Imperial police office.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going back to the soldiers. I need to become your slave to truly understand what it's like being with you, master!"

"No way! That's a hindrance to your own goals, dammit!"

"But if I don't, I won't have a reason to be by your side!"

"Yeah, but you already are my disciple. You've done enough so stop pushing yourself to that extent."

"Master."

"Hm?"

"After claiming your freedom once more, will you return to Night Raid's base, or will you find a new home nearer to the capital?"

Saitama pinched his chin as he thought of his choices. "Well, I've got acquaintances that might let me have a better life in the capital but…I'm staying with them."

"This…isn't a matter of rent, is it, master?"

"Yeah. I let you live in my apartment without rent, too, didn't I? Besides, staying in the Capital is more troublesome than you think. The soldiers get all rude and grumpy. The moment you say something to them, the next day you're a fugitive. What gives?"

"Master, I can eliminate those who try to trouble you. Just lend me your approval and I will!"

"No way. It'll end up with your face printed on a dead-or-alive wanted poster littered on the walls. For now, we should just keep doing what we've been doing."

"By the way, master, I will report what I have learned from my information gathering."

"'Sup"

"Besides this world being medieval compared to ours, it is governed by the most powerful nation, which is the empire. It has dominated every single nation it was near to, gathering enough land to own an entire continent. It is said that there are few nations beyond the capital's borders, but information shows that the empire is perfectly capable of handling them in any way possible. It is ruled by an emperor, a prime minister, and several others including powerful generals that keep revolutionaries in check. The fauna of the place seems to show that the beasts spawning in the empire are their own version of _animals_ in our place."

Saitama sighed, as his disciple had forgotten his earliest lessons. "Well, it certainly sounds like those light novels high schoolers read. The details weren't that important I guess. Anyway, since I've been released, let's go do some hero work around." Saitama gripped his fist. "Now that I'm not a criminal, I can finally face the monsters here without any worries."

"I see, master. You go to the west part. I will go to the east."

"Alright then!"

000

"Interesting…very interesting!" a gaudy voice broke the silence as Genos walked on the floors of the forests. Genos' palms were smoking and bits of flesh and blood were noticeable on his cheeks and his clothes.

"Who are you?" Genos said as he gazed at the man, who had hidden himself beneath the bushes. "Why are you not showing yourself?"

"Great eyes you have! Impressive!" The man approached Genos and revealed himself. He was a man with long dirty blond hair and a goatee of the same color. He had pure white eyes without any pupils and wielded a double-bladed axe.

"Not only do you have superior senses, but you also have a body that is not like the others." The man named Daidara grinned. "I would love to test you out!"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't do that since I am a normal civilian."

"Who are you trying to fool, boy? I can sense power about to burst through your body. You're no normal human." The man slammed the hilt of the axe downwards. "I'm sure to level up if I fight someone like you! See? My buddy **Belvaac** already wants to taste some of your strength."

"And let myself be caught by the Imperial guards as a fugitive? I'm sorry but that I will never do something that will compromise my own security."

"Oh? And if I said I could guarantee you could go away safely?"

"I'm listeni-" Before Genos could finish his words, he noticed a blade in front of him. He immediately blasted himself to a distance.

"See? You wanted to fight as well!" Daidara laughed. "The scent of blood…the smoke in your palms…This might be my greatest fight yet!"

" **Incinerate** " Genos muttered as he unleashed flame towards the competitive man, who dodged it. "If that had hit you, you would've been unconscious."

"Unconscious? I could've been killed!" the man retained his mad smile. "Take this!" the man took his axe and slashed down the cyborg.

A dust cloud covered both of the opponents. Daidara landed on his feet and tried to retrieve his axe. **He failed.**

"What's going on?" Daidara said as he used all his strength to attempt pulling his axe out of the ground. "It won't budge?"

"Nice try, but you shouldn't lose sight of the opponent." Genos said as he allowed the dust to settle He had his right leg standing on the blade of the axe. He had prepared his fist into a ball. Genos punched forward and left the axe, forcing Daidara to leap to the back of Genos. Daidara, seeing the opportunity, took the axe and tried a horizontal slash against his opponent.

"Is that all you've got?" Genos said as he stood only an inch from the Imperial Arms. "Your attacks aren't that destructive. I'm starting to believe you are merely an annoyance."

"Get off your high horse, boy" Daidara took his axe and split it into two. He threw both axes towards the cyborg. The cyborg merely dodged one and flicked the other with his fist. "If Master Saitama was here, he, too, would have been disappointed."

"I won't be that sure!" Daidara said before he felt a sharp pain by his abdomen.

"Your motives are too obvious. You talk too much. As a disciple of Caped Baldy, **Speak in twenty words or less**."

Genos bent his body down, revealing that he knew all about the returning blade that Daidara had plotted against him.

"Crap!" the blade continued its motion as it began to advance towards Daidara's head. "It's too fast…If I don't dodge this, my head will be bisected for sure!"

Daidara closed his eyes in an attempt to ease the pain of his death when he felt pain on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Genos asked as he helped the man up. "That was a close call. You're not injured, are you?"

A fist immediately went for Genos' face.

"I see you're still going to battle." Genos caught his arm by the wrist. He threw him to a short distance.

"Damn, you're strong!" Daidara grinned. "I'm becoming more doubtful of defeating you, but I can't just give up, can I?"

"Such tenacity reminds me of a certain annoying ninja. Fine, I will show you why you must stop." Genos accelerated toward Daidara, who had no time to react to his speed.

" **Incinerate** "

Genos aimed at Daidara. In that moment, Daidara saw a spark in the palms of Genos. The incinerators in Genos' hands released a pyre that swallowed the trees within a range of 200 meters. The fauna in that area burst to flames, although the trees were too thick to burn out completely. Instead, the trees stood while they burned, which made them seem like stone pillars in hell that constantly blazed in heat.

"Do you people have nothing to do but fight?" Genos said to the unconscious Daidara, whom he saved at the last split-second by grabbing him by the collar and holding him with his other hand. "You're making us hero's job even more troublesome. If you lot keep doing this to others, eventually master Saitama will be burdened. This should teach you a lesson." Genos left Daidara under a nearby tree and went on to find more danger beasts.

000

"What's with that sound?" Saitama said as he walked through the forest. He had just saved a few travelers from imminent death through his tool of the trade before he walked through the rather peaceful forest once more. "It's making the inside of my ear itchy. Weird."

"Once I get home, I'll apply the preservative so her skin wouldn't darken and become food for the worms." A seemingly young boy said gleefully as he removed his lips from a flute.

"I don't really care about that, Nyau." A man with white hair tied into a ponytail and a white moustache said. "You've been saying this for years now. Haven't you gotten tired of saying that to us?"

"Old habits die hard, River." Nyau said as he began playing his flute once more. "Besides, it's fun to do so. Don't you think so too?"

"I've got to agree with Daidara that it is disgusting, on the contrary. Speaking of Daidara, he's been on a roll these days. Not only is he killing much more soldiers than necessary, but through each battle he claims to be improving."

"He is improving, though. I'm just happy I could peel up some of them. You're just a big bore."

"That's just rude."

"Oh, a kid." An unfamiliar voice muttered. Liver and Nyau looked at the origin of those words. "No wonder that tone's so irritating."

"Eh? I've been practicing on sending people down with my melodies. I'm pretty sure it could bring down any normal man…but…"

"State your name." Liver said in a stern manner.

"My name? I'm Saitama, a professional hero."

"Saitama? Hmm, it doesn't ring a bell." Liver pinched his chin and closed his eyes. "He looks plain and bored, but if I look closely, I can see blood on his gloves."

"What are you doing in the woods? Were you lost?" Nyau said with a crooked brow.

"I'm doing hero work right now. Basically, I defeat monsters for a job."

"Monsters? Then that means the blood on your gloves are from a danger beast? I know there are plenty of them in the outskirts of the capital but…you're suspicious."

"I _was_ a criminal. I've been freed now, though so don't worry."

Nyau ignored him as he played his flute with a different pacing and rhythm. "If he responds differently from what I expect, then he truly must be different from the rest."

"Ah, so that's where the noise comes from" Saitama muttered as he snatched the flute from Nyau.

"B-BASTARD, GIVE THAT BACK!" He shouted as he tried to take the flute from him. However, Saitama merely dodged his attempts.

"Listen, kid. I know that you want to practice or something for some kind of school activity, but you should lower the volume down, alright?" Saitama inspected the instrument. "Something must be wrong with this thing. It sounds okay, but it's very annoying."

"GIVE IT, ASSHOLE" Nyau shouted with a furious expression on his face as he punched Saitama's torso. Unfortunately, his plan backfired. "It..hurts…"

Saitama ignored the attack and continued gazing at the flute. "This looks high quality too. It's best for you to get a replacement, kid. This thing's broken." Saitama let Nyau take the flute away.

"You better keep it down, especially in the night. That'll disturb others' sleep."

"I could care less about the well-being of others." Nyau grit his teeth in anger. "How dare you belittle the three beasts."

"Who said anything about belittling? 'Three beasts'? Is that your band name? Sorry, kid, but I think you need more practice with the flute."

"This guy…" Nyau's eyes burned in anger. "I'm going to enjoy skinning you, you commoner scum."

"Stop it, Nyau." Liver said as he held his hand in front of him. "We don't know if this man is trying to aggravate you to attack. There's something off with that man, and since you are the weakest of us in terms of melee combat, I will take him on."

Saitama heaved a sigh. "Listen, I just got out of being a criminal. Can't you give me a break? I'm trying to do my job here."

"Because you endured Nyau's melody, I believe you have something commoners have not. Might I spar with you for a while?" Liver said in a serious manner as he had intentions of knowing this average man's true nature. He didn't want to exact revenge from Nyau's rather childish rants. He was well aware of his comrade's rude personality. However, the bald man who can easily brush off an Imerial Relic's effects isn't an ordinary bald man.

"Spar? Don't tell me you're going to ask _me_ to be your master, too."

"Don't worry. I have my own pride as a man, and I can accept defeat." Liver tried to display a humble façade. In truth, he knew that, if this man _was_ a commoner, he would never survive his attacks.

"Alright, **let's start**." Liver muttered coldly as raised his arm. Suddenly, the trees quickly became dehydrated as pillars of water escaped and joined in the atmosphere.

"This is the Imperial Arms known as **Black Marlin**. It was created from an organ of a sea danger beast that lets it control water. Therefore, its user can do so as well. It's unfortunate that I am not at the sea, where most water is, but the Imperial drainage system is all I need to take you on right here right now!"

Saitama looked at the pillars of water from its base upwards. "Ah, well that's a waste of superpowers."

"W-What?"

"Well, if that thing could control water, then it's no different from pumps and faucets. You're just going to get my suit wet. Plus, if you're in the desert, you can't use it, right?"

"You keep calling out its weaknesses. However, you're gravely underestimating it by saying it will just get you wet. Do you know what water pressure is?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I wonder if I left a faucet open back at home."

"You're sparring with me. Focus!" Liver said as he pointed towards Saitama. " **Water Barrage** ".

At the mention of those words, the pillars of water went straight towards Saitama, making him fly towards the nearby trees. "No normal human could have survived that. Now, will you arise from this as a man, or lay there as a corpse?"

Liver looked on as he tried to perceive the man hit by the spear-like pillars of water. As he squinted, he saw a fluttering cape **within** the pillar.

"Impossible…Y-you're… **swimming?** "

Liver gazed at the spectacle. Saitama, with puffed cheeks, pinched his nose and swam freestyle against the currents.

"That guy…just what is he doing?" Nyau stared in shock. "I don't know if I should laugh or what with this."

"Impressive display of skills." Liver shouted as he ordered the pillars to release the baldy. The water retracted towards Liver and combined to one giant pillar. Liver rose from it as the water slowly formed the image of a giant snake. "I see that I have to get more serious."

"I told you, didn't I? You're just going to make my suit wet. I'm getting the chills already, too." Saitama sneezed and wiped his nose with his glove. "We should finish this quickly."

"If you wish then so be it!"

" **Serpent of the Abyss** " the snake, permeated of pressurized water, charged Saitama at full force. However, Saitama easily avoided the attack and disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Liver frantically searched the surrounding for the vanished man.

"Is it fun up here?" a voice muttered behind him. "It's quite cold."

"Tsk, bastard." Liver grit his teeth. " **Murky Lance** "

Several pillars of water from the drainage systems of the Capital formed and struck Saitama upwards. Saitama's face was bereft of emotion before it lit up.

"Ah" Saitama muttered mid-air, as the attack held him suspended in the air. "That felt like those water spas I traveled to in my high school days. That felt nostalgic."

"No effect? Fine, this next attack will surely kill you!"

" **Water Dragons Divine Conquest** "

The pillars of water began to bend and curve to imitate several dragon heads. The water golems charged towards Saitama and, one by one, swalled the caped baldy without remorse. The water was so putrid that, soon after, Saitama's figure was unnoticeable.

"Maybe I went too far? No, he withstood my previous attacks. He just can't be an ordinary civilian without surviving them. Yes, he was probably a member of Night Raid, and I'm providing more benefits to the capital by killing him rather than letting him frolic. If he isn't a member, then he might as well be recruited by the Revolutionary army. I cannot let that happen, even if this makes my body worn out."

Liver lowered his arm and watched the massive pillar dissipate and the corpse of the man fall. "That pressure should've been strong enough to break all of your bones. I should've questioned you a bit more, but there's no point crying over spilt milk."

"Ah, that felt good." The seemingly lifeless body muttered as it stood up and brushed off its suit. "My joints feel so rejuvenated. Thanks for that, old man."

"I-Impossible…What Imperial Arms do you have to survive all that?"

"Hmm? What are you talking about? The water wasn't that strong. Well, it was just enough to loosen up my body like a massage, I guess."

"I see. Let me tell you this. If you join us as one of Lady Esdeath's bodyguards, you will be feared by everyone, **including** the monstrous officials with the twisted philosophies. Think about it, Saitama. With your power, getting you to the rank of a general is completely conceivable. Think of the benefits!"

"Hmm, nah. The empire's pretty corrupt to the point that it would kill anyone who would stand in its way. I don't really like that."

"I can see it in you. You're part of Night Raid, aren't you? That strength cannot be hiding in the hordes of the commoners unless you are a revolutionary or a part of the Empire. Since you don't recognize us a bit, you're affiliated with the enemy."

"I didn't confirm that yet."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a part of Night Raid. I _said_ I don't kill people. What part of that don't you get?"

As a vein popped out of Saitama's head in irritation, he heard the annoying melody once more.

"Now, Liver. Kill him while he's distracted."

"Fine!"

" **Blade of Blood** " Liver shouted as he took a pocket knife in an attempt to wound himself. Saitama's left brow twitched.

"Alright, that's it."

In an instant, Liver saw his surroundings turn to black as a sharp pain struck them at their napes. He heaved a breath of air as he fell to the forest floor. Nyau could only look at the recently unfolded event.

"Damn kid." Saitama said as he held the flute but didn't take it. "Why are you trying so hard to play with this thing. I'm sure as hell they could bring it back to their factories and replace it, you know. You could even buy a few more flutes in the slums."

"Take your dirty hands off, baldy."

Saitama sighed as he took the flute off of Nyau's hands and hit him by the nape, making him almost lose consciousness.

"What…strength…" Nyau muttered with his last breath as he fell to the ground. As his sight became more and more blurred, he looked at the man who had defeated two of the three beasts.

"Crap, if he truly is a Night Raid member, we'll be killed at this instant…" he thought as he tried to not lose his consciousness. Saitama looked at the two of them with a worried look on his face. He approached Liver and carried his body on his shoulder before approaching Nyau.

"Here it goes…" Nyau closed his eyes and grit his teeth. However, he felt a bit lighter. After that, he fainted.

000

"Nyau…" he heard a voice call out his name.

"Nyau…" it repeated.

"NYAU" the volume of the shout increased, making him wake up completely.

"What just happened?" Daidara shouted as he looked at his two comrades who were in a slumber.

"Some strong guy battled us…but…I guess he isn't part of Night Raid."

"Seriously? I just fought another guy myself. He had metal arms and a pair of demonic eyes that could scare the crap out of anyone. His power was explosive, too!"

"Is that so?" Nyau said as he stood up and felt a subtle pain in his nape. "We just battled a strong one ourselves."

"Liver…lost?"

"We did not expect him to be **that** strong. It was actually surprising. His face was too average. He was a baldy too. However, even though we faced him both, **he held a bored expression**. It ticked me off, but I guess I was just feeling inferior to him."

"And he made you both faint, too. Just who is this guy?"

"I don't really know, but I'm sure of one thing. **He's strong**."


	6. Killer Queen

" **Just what are you talking about** "

A foot stepped on what we would consider the _senior_ of the three beasts as he kneeled down in utter respect with his forehead touching the floors. The other two members of the trio looked on with sweat rolling on their faces as they watched their boss in her splendid dominance over her subordinates.

" **Basically saying, you've been bested in a fight with a civilian?** "

"I'm sorry, Lady Esdeath." Liver muttered as the foot stepping on his head began to push him harder to the floor. "He was stronger than we thought. We tried to subjugate him, but he brushed our attacks as if they were nothing. His instincts were so sharp that, even with our speed, he can track us down with his bland eyes. He's…out of our league, to be frank."

The woman, named Esdeath, stomped harder on the man's head. "Was the training not enough, Liver?"

"It's…not the training, Lady Esdeath. He is not skilled at all. It's so ridiculous to the point that it's as if we were just being played with."

"I see." The sadist released her foot from his head and gave a kick that sent him to his comrades. "There were two of them, correct?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. I fought the other guy. He seemed to own a weird Imperial Arms as his whole body is metal. He shot fire from his palms and is pretty powerful on his own." Daidara mentioned to his master.

"So there are beings that can overwhelm my body guards, the three beasts…" Esdeath said to no one in particular. "What are their names?"

"I don't know the name of the metal man…"Daidara scratched the back of his head. "but Liver said the other guy's name was Saitama."

"That baldy..."Nyau grit his teeth. "I won't forget that face…"

"That's just your ego flaring up, Nyau." Esdeath flared a smirk. "You three, have the police sketch the faces of these people who have defeated you with ease."

"Yes, Lady Esdeath!" the trio shouted in unison.

"Oh, and don't have them post it as 'wanted' posters"

"What do you mean, ma'am?" Daidara asked.

"We don't need to catch them as criminals. The fact that they spared your lives means they are nothing more than civilians with potential. I order you to have their faces sketched and have copies produced. I will be the one to spread the news to those I deem fit to have them not captured but persuaded to be part of us. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You are dismissed." The sadist shouted as her loyal soldiers left the room. Esdeath sat on her desk and proceeded to write on a piece of paper before coming to a quick pause.

"Saitama, huh?" Esdeath muttered to herself as a small grin of excitement carved onto her face. "Interesting…"

000

"Now that…Bro's…gone…we need to train…harder…" Lubbock said as he tried to push himself from the ground as the bestial blonde girl sat behind him. He talked to Tatsumi with a red-eyed girl sitting on her partner's back.

"Yeah...we're down one man now. We need to balance it by getting stronger…"

"Is it me…" Leone muttered with a smug face as she tried to cover it with her palm "Or is it that Tatsumi has done twice the pushups than you?"

"It can't be helped, Leone." Akame said with her blank expression. "We're too different in terms of body structure."

After saying these words, Leone hit Akame with her fist, effectively creating an exaggerated bump on her head.

"Oh, you're training?" Saitama said as he and Genos walked from the base. "Seems you're working tough."

"Hmm? Saitama, you're wearing weird again." Leone boisterously laughed as she pointed to Saitama's clothes.

"Well, excuse me, but what I'm wearing is something very common at my place." Saitama retaliated. He wore a blue tracksuit that had white two white stripes running down his sides, as well as a pair of running shoes.

"Oh, thanks for replicating it, Genos. I really liked this tracksuit."

"The praise is unnecessary, master. Because I have written every detail of your life meticulously, I can easily replicate clothes, furniture, and even structures, including the material they're made with, since I know their compositions as well."

"Damn, you're awesome!" Saitama said with a light smile.

"Now, master, it's time for your daily routine."

"Routine?" Akame said.

"Does this mean Saitama has some secret we don't know?" Leone snickered. "Care to let us join in?"

"Maybe this is why you became so powerful." Tatsumi said with enthusiasm. Lubbock laughed. "No way, it'll just be a weird hobby, probably."

Saitama dropped to the floor in a prone position with his hands and toes carrying the brunt of his weight.

"Wait, you're just going to pushups, right?" Leone said in a mocking tone. "That's not much of a training now, is it? Unless you're going for a million, you won't be getting that much power."

Genos hid from the whole group a small smirk, much to Saitama's chagrin. "Alright, master. START"

" **One hundred Pushups** "

At the mention of these words, Saitama immediately lowered his torso to the ground and pushed himself away from it. It would seem like a normal pushup to anyone, except **he was literally making afterimages and shockwaves from it.**

"What the hell!" Lubbock shouted as the whole group was stunned at the speed and impact. They immediately left their current positions and backed away from the enigmatic event. As the number of afterimages dwindled, Genos suddenly spoke.

"Next!"

" **One hundred Sit ups** "

From the perspective of everyone except Genos, who had enhanced senses due to his cyborg body, and Akame, who was starting to see the speed being lessened, the afterimages declined in speed and number. In truth, however, Saitama was already in the supine position. Saitama started the curl ups by bringing his upper body towards his bent knees, lying down once more, and repeating it.

"There are…hundreds of baldies!" Leone said in shock as the group witnessed two afterimages: one doing pushups and the other doing sit ups. The impact was similar to that of the first. The sit ups were so fast that once Saitama started it, Akame couldn't perceive him as well.

"Next!" Genos shouted like he was one of the instructors in the Hero Exams.

" **One hundred Squats** "

Once again, the afterimages, which now showed only the situps, reduced in number and new afterimages of a man lowering his bottom near the ground and standing again appeared.

"W-woah!" Tatsumi shouted as he noticed the ground beneath them cracked.

"The power in his training is so immense" Akame shouted, as she wouldn't be heard due to the extreme wind generated by the exercise. "that the weight distributed to the land is making him sink."

Indeed, Saitama's afterimages began to look as if he was one foot shorter than usual.

"Next."

" **10 kilometer running** "

After saying these words, Genos himself blasted himself into the air. Saitama, who still hand afterimages of his squats, ran to the direction of the capital.

"That was quick…" a voice said. Najenda exited the base with a large backpack behind her and a few visible weapons strapped in it.

"B-Boss…"Tatsumi, still shocked with the recently unfolded events, said. "Did you just see that?"

"I saw the whole thing. There's no doubt Saitama's powerful now, after those."

"Boss, why aren't you reacting as bad as us?"

"Hm? I did get shocked after witnessing it from the upper floors, but since you're the ones nearest to him when he trained, you are the most spooked."

"Spooked?"

"Look." Najenda pointed to Akame.

"Akame's…frozen stiff?"

"Usually, it would be completely out of character for Akame to do that. However, because Saitama doesn't make sense at all, she's still in shock of what happened."

"You can tell that much with one eye?" With his eye twitching, Tatsumi looked at his boss.

Lubbock sighed. "Well, she _is_ a previous general of the capital. Not only that, but she could even carry as much heavy weapons as she wants and not get troubled."

"Really?" Najenda raised her left brow as she took Belvaac the axe from its strap and wielded it with her metal arm. "It's not that heavy."

As she displayed her impressive strength, a strong gust of wind visited the base. "Huh, you're strong too?"

"Thanks, but I don't exactly pass your standard of strength." Najenda nonchalantly said as she talked to the professional hero "By the way, you took a bit longer, Saitama. Why is that so?"

"Yeah, well, I was supposed to go to the slums and marketplaces to shop for some spices, but I forgot my wallet."

"I guess you could say you're in a _pinch_." Najenda raised her thumb.

"Well, _Salt_ isn't usually the best way to fix my problems." Saitama responded to the ridiculous, pathetic pun. "Anyways, better be careful out there, alright?"

"Alright. Oh, and by the way, Akame will be the substitute boss while I'm gone. Follow her orders, okay?"

"Yes" Everyone said simultaneously as they waved the boss farewell.

"Master, I will be in the process of creating armaments that will suit me to this world. With that said, I am sorry I will not be able to join you in shopping."

"It's cool, Genos. Do what you want."

"Thank you, master!" Genos shouted as he went to the mountains. Saitama looked at the direction of his disciple.

"I guess I better get going, too."

000

"Sup" a voice uttered behind Saitama. The marketplace Saitama was in wasn't as crowded as the slum district, but it had its fair share of people. Peddlers shouted their products including the deals and discounts. However, the discounts mean nothing as the prices were still incredibly high despite the reduced amount.

"Hmm? What's your name, again…ah, Kire!"

"That's rude! My name is Kumi, you know?" the vermilion-haired girl said to the baldy. "Do you have a problem with your memory?"

"I guess?" Saitama said with a tone of doubt.

The girl gazed at Saitama's tracksuit intently before looking back at him. "There you go again wearing weird clothes."

"Weird?"

"Yeah. Didn't I buy some clothes for you before?"

"…Oh, yeah."

"You actually forgot it? Geez." Kumi turned her gaze away from the hero and pouted. "I actually spent some energy on that, too."

Saitama's eye twitched at the typical behavior of a female. "I wear it sometimes. It's just that I finished training a while ago."

"You train?"

"Yeah"

"Trying to keep up with Raid, huh."

"Not really."

"So what brought you around these parts? Weren't you satisfied with them?" Kumi smirked before she went to Saitama's ear. "Oh, don't mention Night Raid much here. There might be eyes watching."

"Eyes? Is there some monster around?"

"Idiot. I'm talking about the empire. You might become suspicious again if you don't heed my words."

"Alright, alright. I'm here because I want to buy some things for the guys."

"You're telling me Night Raid doesn't have resources to support itself? I'm pretty sure Akame can survive even the harshest conditions."

"That's quite an exaggeration." Saitama lifted his right brow. "And it's not that they don't _have_ the basics. They're not in deep poverty. They just need some things that could only be bought in the capital."

"Like what exactly?"

"Hmm" Saitama took out a sheet of paper folded into two parts and unfolded it. "Some of these."

"Let me take a look." Kumi took the paper and viewed it. "Oh, they are rare items, indeed."

Saitama took the paper once more. "Yep. Could you help me find them?"

"Geez, you're very lucky I'm on my day off right now. Otherwise, you'd be lost, like your first day here." She chuckled.

"I couldn't help it, it was my first time."

"Well, I guess I can't blame you then." Kumi's eyes lit up. "By the way, have you heard?"

"I'm far from the capital, so my answer is no." Saitama immediately replied.

"She's back." She ignored his sudden answer.

"Who?"

"General Esdeath of the army."

"S…desu? Doesn't S mean sadist?"

"It's funny. She actually is a sadist." Kumi snickered. "Apparently, she's one of the strongest generals in the empire. Whenever she's not doing her job, she'll be hunting danger beasts, torturing criminals, and sometimes joining the commoners in their everyday lives."

"I don't see anything wrong with the last part."

"I guess so. Well, you'll know her when you see her. If you don't, which is most likely, I'll give you details. She wears the typical General's apparel and has blue eyes and long light blue hair. A prominent feature, however, is a certain black tattoo on her chest."

"I see. You say she's powerful, right?"

"No doubt about that."

Saitama clenched his fist. "Maybe… _she'll_ give me a challenge."

"Wait, are you planning to take her on?"

"Why not?"

"Try if you must, you can't possibly defeat her." Kumi looked away with a melancholic look on her face. "Frankly, I think it would take the whole revolutionary army to damage her at least."

"Who said that?"

"I'm just stating the facts." Kumi raised her shoulders. "She's in another level."

"Stop it."

"Hmm?"

"My hope's getting up. That's not a good sign." Saitama scratched his temples.

"Anyway, let's stop talking about her. She'll just ruin the mood." Kumi creased her forehead and looked around to distract herself from the topic."

"Ah, we're here." Saitama pointed to the marketplace.

"I'll try to find if the materials you need are here. For the mean time, have fun exploring the marketplace, alright?" Not knowing the fact that Saitama had already gone to the place, Kumi uttered.

"Thanks for your assistance." Saitama smirked as he watched the girl disappear in the moderately thick crowd. As Saitama took a few steps as he inspected the goods, which were as high as ever, he heard a voice.

"Hey, hick!" In front of Saitama stood a blonde girl with a plain white shirt and aquamarine skirt with black highlight on the edges. "It's been a while." She winked.

"You're…do I know you?" The hero said, much to the girl's chagrin.

"I'm Aria, A.R.I.A. Don't you remember me?"

"Yea, no, not really." Saitama said with his left cheek raised and a bead of sweat rolling on his temples.

"I'm the girl who you saved a few months ago?"

"Let me think…" Saitama pinched his chin and closed eyes, as if he was in deep thought. "Oh, you're the stuck up, violent brat, aren't you?"

"That's a bit too frank." Aria pouted. Behind her came a thickly clothed man with a fit and tanned body. "Oh, Saitama, you're still here?"

"Who are you?" Saitama asked once more. A vein popped on Aria's forehead as she grit her teeth.

"Better remember our names, baldy! My name is Aria, and this hick here is named Hiro. You saved me from the jaws of death twice in the past. Good. To. Meet. You!"

"How are things going, Saitama?" Hiro laughed as he grasped Saitama's palms and shook it.

Saitama smiled in response to his warm greeting. "Things aren't so easy, but it's fine. How about you?"

"Oh, we're still surviving, as you see." Hiro held his biceps, as if he was signaling his strength. "And Aria's bratty side is still existent."

"Even if it's still there, it's gone down a bit, right?" Aria muttered with an annoyed face.

"Of course it has. If not, what have you been doing in the village the whole time, rich girl?"

"Ah shut it."

"So what are you doing here?" Saitama asked. "I'm here to buy some stuff."

"What could those be, I wonder." The man smiled.

"Oh, don't worry. Someone is finding them for me."

"Someone? Don't tell me you've gotten yourself romantically involved so suddenly!" Hiro laughed to tease Saitama. Aria laughed because she could not even imagine such an event.

"Nah, she's just an acquaintance."

"That's just harsh. You didn't even give her a chance."

"Sorry for the wait!" Kumi said as she approached the group. It seems they all have it here, Saitama. All you need is to buy them."

Kumi noticed the newcomers. She raised her left brow and asked, "Who might you be?".

"I am Aria and this man is Hiro. We're from outside the capital."

"I see." Kumi smiled cheerfully. "That would mean…Oh, nevermind. After the shopping, would you like to eat at a nearby cafeteria?"

"Oh, let us." Aria stated as they went on to their tasks.

000

"This has been quite tiring." Aria sighed as she sat on her seat. "That took a while."

"Indeed." Kumi said as she sipped from a cup of tea. "It's tiring for a rich girl like you, right? After all…

 **You haven't paid what you owe"**

"Eh?" Aria's face became pale as shiver went down her spine. "W-What do you mean…"

"Don't play dumb, you rich bitch. I know what you've done." Kumi's lips curved to a Chelsea grin. "Have the voices started speaking? You know the screams and sobs during their last moments."

"They're…no…" Aria shook in fear and braced herself from the chill surrounding her body due to her past actions.

"Can you even _comprehend_ what you've done? You **ruined** countless lives. Right now, there are many people in their cold homes in their impoverished villages, waiting-no, **intensely** worrying about their loved ones."

"Stop…" Aria stated in an undertone while she hid her face from the speaker. She clenched her palms, which lay on her soft, aquamarine skirt. "Please…stop…"

" **Stop**? Are you **fucking** kidding me? Did you know that **that** word had been said by your victims until their dying breaths? Have those words reached your hearts when you experimented on their bodies? You couldn't even _perceive_ their tears since you were drunk with power and the ecstasy of superiority."

Aria grit her teeth as she covered her face with her palms. She muttered fearfully in a voice filled with anguish, "No…I didn't…know it before. Father…mother…they taught me it was natural to do that to the lesser fortunate in life…"

Kumi crossed her legs and looked at Aria menacingly with a smile that tried to bring back Aria's ruthlessness. "Trying to find a scapegoat, huh? I see you're still in the denial stage. Listen up, **brat**. You can cringe all you like, but that won't fix anything. They're all dead because of you. Their hopes and dreams got utterly crushed by your inhuman acts."

Every word, or should we say criticism, that spewed out of Kumi's mouth struck Aria's heart.

"There's only **one** way to atone for that, brat." Kumi uttered as she dragged her hand forward, with her palm facing the wooden surface of the table. She raised her palm, revealing a butter knife from the cafeteria.

The sight of the blade overwhelmed Aria with shock, as seen by her agitated expression. She swallowed and calmed herself. She knew that it was an inevitable fate. Even so, streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. She took the blade and raised it to further inspect the object. She lowered her head to conceal the bitter smile. Slowly, she brought the knife nearer to her beautiful neck. Kumi looked on with a sinister smile, albeit less obvious.

"What're you doing?" a blank voice uttered. Saitama, with Hiro by his side, held the materials lacking in Night Raid's base within a paper bag.

"Saitama?" Kumi said in shock.

"A-Aria!" Hiro shouted as he took the butter knife away and hugged Aria. Aria's eyes widened, before she lowered her head to sob. "What happened!"

"It's my fault." Aria said as rivers of tears flowed. "I never stopped myself from hurting people. I relished in the blood of those I hated. I **killed** for no good reason. I…I do not deserve this good life…"

"What are you talking about, Aria?" Hiro asked before he gazed at Kumi with anger. "Just what the hell did you do?"

"I just informed her of the truth beyond what she perceived. That's all I did." She said in a rather cheerful manner.

" **Asshole** , she already **healed** from her past, and this is what you do?"

"What's wrong with that? It's not like she killed anyone, right? Oh, wait." A smug smile formed on her face.

"You don't even understand." Hiro clenched his fist into a ball. "Every damn night, she couldn't even **sleep** because of-"

"Stop, Hiro." Aria's voice broke Hiro's statement. "It's okay. I…deserved it."

"No you don't, Aria! It's unfair to have you struggling and then this girl comes and-"

"What's going on?" Saitama said haphazardly. "What a gloomy atmosphere."

"Can't you read the situation, Saitama?" Kumi uttered remorselessly. "That girl has killed many innocent people. I don't need to hold back any truths against her stone heart."

"Stone? She's crying right now."

"So? Any human can cry. She shouldn't run from her responsibilities after all she did."

"Even so, she seems like she's wishing she hadn't done it. She can't do anything about what she did before, too. What are you trying to point out, Kumi?"

"Let me be blunt then. For taking the lives of others forcibly, she must repay them with her own life. Is that simple enough for you?"

"Then is **this** simple for you too? She's sorry for what she's done and she's going to make things right from then on."

"How can you be so sure about that, Saitama?"

"I'm not sure, but if a witness says it's so, then shouldn't I try giving her a second chance as a human being?"

"That's not how it works, dumbass" Kumi changed her previous snarky voice to that of anger. "She owes innocent **lives**. She has to pay for them; that's the law!"

"You're not the law, are you?"

Kumi paused. _Is he trying to say that the Empire should deal with her case? Then this must be…_

"Listen." Saitama uttered. "Her past is a bit blurry to me, but at the end of the day, she looks and acts like human."

"What the hell is your basis of human, anyway?"

"Exactly what I said. They should look and act human. Anyway, what's with the 180 personality turn? Are you sick or something?"

"This is stupid." Kumi said as she stood from her seat. "I thought I could sympathize with you because you spent some time with Night Raid, but you're too soft."

"Well, if you act with that kind of justice, then aren't you as sadistic as Esdeath?"

Kumi backed away as she was visibly flustered. "D-Don't lump me in with that monster!"

"You looked as if you were grinning back there. Are you sure you're okay? You don't seem like the same person I knew…"

Kumi stormed away from the restaurant after giving a tearful glare at the caped baldy. Saitama, on the other hand, raised his brow as he was really confused as to what she was trying to prove.

"What's with her so suddenly? Wasn't she cheerful in the marketplace?"

"I don't know, but she certainly became incredibly annoying." Hiro said as he grit his teeth. "And I thought she would be a nice girl since she was cute and all."

Hiro looked at Aria through his peripheral vision. She cried silently as she covered her face in shame with her hand. Immediately, she felt something broad touch her head.

"Listen, don't lose that confidence of yours. You tried so hard to build it up, so don't let it go down with _that_."

"Sorry to bring this trouble to you guys. I really didn't expect something like that would happen." Saitama scratched his temple. "Are you okay, Aria?"

"No…I'm fine. She made a fine point, anyway."

"Eh?"

Aria lowered her head and bit her lower lip. "I killed people for fun, for jealousy, for rage…those poor souls had their own lives. They could have had children with futures as bright, if not brighter, than my past life's luxuries. Now, they starve. They die all alone without the comfort of their parents, or their siblings. I had the boon of fortune and wealth, but they, the sufferers, carry the burden of my sins. I'm an absolute **monster**."

"No you're not..." Saitama said nonchalantly. "…Far from it actually."

"What are you saying, Saitama?" Aria said as she raised her head and gazed at the hero. "Are you telling me that I'm more than a monster? Have I gone to the realm of demons with my crimes against humanity?"

"I didn't say anything about demons. What are you talking about?" Saitama said as a drop of sweat rolled on his face. "Aria, I'm very certain you're not a monster, and you're far from being a demon. In fact, what you are right now is certainly the reason why you're a human!"

"What do you mean?"

"What makes us humans _human_ is that we're capable of improving ourselves! Even if you managed to kill several people before, in the end, you still changed for the better. A monster won't do that. A demon would despise that. Not that I would know about demons, anyway."

"That's some deep shit you said, Saitama." Hiro said as he raised his brow. "…but you're right. Aria, you've learned of the wrongs of your past, and started to move forward. That's what matters. Your ignorance and the way you've been brought up pardon you from taking responsibility. You're a good woman who plays with kids in our village. You even taught little Chika to take care of butterflies, right? You taught the village a profound knowledge of medicine to unknown illnesses that plagued our village for years. You've paid what you owed!"

With the mention of these words by Hiro, Aria slowly lowered her face just beneath the table. She burst into tears as she muffled her sobs with a handkerchief. Hiro smiled at his companion as he pat her head. As the drama ensued, Saitama desperately tried to ensure to the waitress, who recently arrived and wondered what was happening, that everything was okay.

000

"So where are you going?" Saitama asked as they walked on the cobblestone path.

"Ah, Hiro's going to participate in some kind of tournament."

"Tournament? Is it some kind of game or a martial arts one?"

"It's a martial arts one. Hiro is planning to win it for the village!" Aria cheerfully said.

"Yeah! It's been announced at the bulletin boards that a tournament was being held to discover the new wielder of the Imperial Arms: Extase. Have you heard of it?" Hiro asked enthusiastically like a kid talking about an expensive toy at the supermarket. "That thing can cut through ANYTHING. If I have it, I could protect the village more efficiently. The weapons I have are too rusty."

"Ah, that sounds interesting." Saitama smiled.

"Don't tell me you're going to compete as well? If that happens then _everyone's_ going to lose."

"So they're actually **that** weak? Ugh, then it'll be pointless to join. I wanted to know if there were some powerful guys there, too."

"Some of them are strong. Well, not as strong as you think, probably. A friend of mine joined the tournament once, and he won against a 12 foot tall, fully armored guy. He was just as tall as me, and I'm 5 foot 10!"

"That's disappointing. Then I'll just join Aria in watching you, I guess. I've got the night shift today anyway."

"Be that as it may, I believe it's time to ready myself. I should go!"

"Take care!" Aria said as the hunter ran off with a thumbs up as a response.

"Is he powerful by this place's standards, Aria?"

"I guess so. He does kill some A class danger beasts easily!"

"I see."

"So _this_ is the place where you've been to, Saitama!" a loud voice was heard.

"Oh, Leone, was it?"

"Wait, you could remember my name now?" The blonde, robust girl said as she walked beside the Lubbock. "That's an achievement right there."

"Anyway, it seems you've got some… **company**." Lubbock said as he gazed at their enemy.

"Come on, not this again. Look, I don't want any trouble anymore, but if you try and kill the girl, I'll have to stop you, too."

"We know that already. We've seen you with the other guy, you know?" Leone said as she crossed her arms. "Plus, she's not doing anything so bad…yet."

"That's just worrying me more." Saitama said with a wrinkled brow.

"Well, as long as you're there, we couldn't really be doing anything about it, right?"

"Besides, we've gained intel about her after our… battle." Lubbock said. "Once we investigated about her family's activities, we discovered that her house, properties, and other materials that previously had value were sold. After that, all information about her and her family were completely wiped out. What remain of her previous life's existence are her physical body right now and the graves of her parents and bodyguards. That doesn't mean we'll let her off the hook, since she still abused hundreds of innocents. However, we're given hope that, as a result of your doing, she may be better than herself from before.

"I guess so." Saitama scratched his temples. "Oh, the guy you were talking about is entering the tournament for something."

"I see. So he'll be Tatsumi's opponent, huh?" Lubbock said as he looked at the arena. "You sure he could take a punch or two? Tatsumi's been training hard lately, so even if his regimen is much less intense than yours, he's still capable of standing his ground."

"I'm sure he can." Aria uttered. "He killed so many danger beasts. I'm sure he can take on Tatsumi himself."

"Then we should get going." Leone said as she proceeded to the arena. "It's going to start soon, and if we want to see that fight from the front seats, then we should be earlier."

000

"Alright!" Tatsumi shouted as he swept off a Minotaur off his feet. He fell swiftly and harshly towards the hot stone of the sunbathed arena. "One more to go!"

Tatsumi stood triumphantly on the dusty area as the General of murderous ice power watched him from afar.

"He's…interesting…" the woman remarked, which made her subordinate take a step back.

"General Esdeath…are you saying he is someone who might reach your standard of a man worthy of your love?" The blond haired man with sensitive features asked.

"Not yet...I'm still looking for something from him. Let's have him fight another." The General ordered.

"It seems the fight has garnered the interest of General Esdeath." The announcer, a spiky haired teen clad in fairly unusual clothing, shouted. "Therefore, she orders another fight for the participant Tatsumi."

The man, named Wave, looked at the guards in the entrance of the tunnels under the arena. The guard raised his spear as he allowed a person to enter. Wave nodded.

"Another participant is ready! On the West side, a man known as a hunter from a village near the capital approaches the center of the arena. Without further ado, let's welcome: Hiro!"

The crowd looked as a man with nothing but a bow and arrow arrived at the scene. Tatsumi looked at Hiro and Hiro acknowledged his opponent for the day.

"May the best man win!" Hiro said as the announcer raised his hand.

"Begin!"

Hiro took his bow and leaped forward. "Take this!"

Hiro held one end of the bow and struck Tatsumi, who blocked with his short sword's sheath. However, the strength from the blow forced him to the edge of the ring.

"Damn, he's in a different league than the other guy!" Tatsumi grit his teeth as he gazed at his opponent. Hiro took ten arrows from his right hand and tightened his left hand's grip on his bow. He placed the blunt end of the arrow on the string and pulled.

Tatsumi leaped to the right. However, he heard a sweeping sound from his right side.

Tatsumi jumped upward.

"What was that?" Tatsumi thought as he looked at the origin of the sound. A piece of arrow rushed through the ground and made a trail of crushed rock. "That arrow…does he really have such strong arm muscles?"

Tatsumi landed on the ground and gazed at the hunter. He was met by not the meager peeking of an innocent prey, but it was as if he was directly staring at the eyes of a hunter, ready to gobble him up.

Tatsumi heard more sweeping sounds. Suddenly, a pain crept from his left cheek.

"I'm wounded?" Tatsumi touched his wound and noticed that there were 8 arrows going for his head **at once**.

"This is bad!" Tatsumi took Incursio and struck an arrow, which forced its way through and pushed Tatsumi's arm above his head. He retracted his arm and leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the arrows.

"This guy is good! He's too precise and his arm strength is certainly above average." Tatsumi grit his teeth once more. "This is no good. I should hold back Incursio…and **finish this as fast as possible**."

Tatsumi launched himself towards the hunter, who shot a barrage of arrows.

"That's not gonna work anymore!" Tatsumi thought as he spiraled around the hunter.

"Now **this** is interesting!" the general smiled as she gripped her arm rest.

"He's getting nearer. I must stop him from getting any closer." Hiro said as he approached Tatsumi himself.

"A chance!" The brown haired teen shouted as he intercepted the attack of Hiro's bow with his sheathed Incursio.

"What…power!" Hiro shouted as he got thrown through the ground. "I…must…STOP!" Hiro took an arrow and stabbed the ground, effectively stopping his momentum.

He knelt down and aimed at Tatsumi and pulled the arrow's base with all his might. He grit his teeth and wrinkled his forehead before unleashing the energy the string had collected. The arrow shot through at an incredible speed. The shockwave from the shot sent raised a cloud of dust, with only a cleared path made by the arrow itself.

"My shot is strong and precise. There's no way he could have avoided such a strong projectile."

Hiro breathed in as a looming figure from his upper left side showed itself in his peripheral vision. Hiro's eyes widened as he hastened to take another arrow.

"Too late." His opponent said as he closed the space between him and Hiro. Tatsumi took his sword, which was still in its scabbard, and struck him through his cheek, sending him down.

The announcer raised his hand and shouted the conclusion. "Tatsumi wins!"

"And there it is." Tatsumi said as he caught up with his breath. "That guy was good."

"Damn, that hurt." A voice uttered.

"Eh?" Tatsumi looked on as the man he struck down seemingly stood up with a mere bruise on his cheek. "You're still conscious?"

"Yeah. Before you hit me, I realized you were there, so I immediately twisted my body and my head to lessen the damage. Still, it damn hurt, you know? Not to mention the dust technique. That's just dirty!" Hiro said with a smile.

"Haha, no way. You just brought it to yourself!" Tatsumi heartily flashed a grin on his face. At that moment, the ice-cold heart of the sadistic general thawed out, and she blushed for the first time in a long time.

"I better get going then." The hunter said as he held his cheek. He pointed to the direction of Aria. "I need to get this treated by _her._ Tough luck, since she likes to berate me when I get damaged."

"She a girlfriend of yours?"

"Ha-ha. We'll see." Hiro smiled bitterly as he walked to the tunnels.

"Oh, it seems General Esdeath is approaching the ring. Will she congratulate the winner in person?" Wave uttered.

 _The strongest person in the capital…is going to meet me. Why would she? I've got a bad feeling about this._

"So it ended. I guess that was a close call for Tatsumi. Well, Hiro could do better next time." Saitama said as he gazed at the arena as a blue haired girl attached chain around Tatsumi's neck and struck him down by a chop to the neck.

"We should go home then. This'll probably be troublesome for you too, so you should go and check Hiro out."

"Ah, right. Thanks, Saitama!" Aria said as she went towards her friend.

"Now, about the trouble that's brewing back at the base…" as he said these as he went down the stairs, a fluttering image of a wing-bearing, slender man landed on a few steps behind him appeared as feathers rocked back and forth towards the ground due to the force that is gravity.

"Saitama." The man called Run called.

"Eh?"

"So it is you." Run said as he took a sheet of paper form his pocket. "In my hands is a warrant of arrest to you signed by General Esdeath of the empire herself. Please be obedient and come with me."

"…"

"ok"


	7. Fired

"Um, can I have some tea?" an apathetic voice mentioned in a room with several unusual individuals and a familiar brown-haired teenager with a collar around his neck.

"Hey, don't just ignore me Saitama!" the teen shouted as he struggled to break the chains tying him to his chair. "Help me get this thing off!"

"Unfortunately, you shouldn't." the general Esdeath smiled gleefully. "He wouldn't stand out that way."

"Eh? What exactly do you plan for her, Lady Esdeath?" a man the age of Tatsumi said. "Lady Esdeath, is this man who you chained your _lover_ or your _pet_? Because it looks like it's the latter situation with those."

"Really?" the general clicked her tongue after she lowered her head and thought. "I guess I _do_ want him to feel like my beloved. I'll remove them."

"No need." Saitama said as he nonchalantly broke the chains with a gentle grip. The crowd of strangers stared in awe at the feat.

"Thanks, Saitama" Tatsumi stood. "Ah, the collar's still attached. Mind if you-"

"No need" Esdeath approached her loved one and went close to him. "I'll be the one to do that."

" _Ah, too close!"_ Tatsumi thought as Esdeath seemingly wrapped her arms around Tatsumi. In truth, she was merely unfastening the lock of the collar located by his nape.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Esdeath said as she hid her accessory in her right breast pocket.

" _Does this girl have any empathy at all? You don't just chop your lover by the nape and drag him to your home, right?"_ Tatsumi grit his teeth as he felt his neck. It was sore from all the abuse by the general of the empire.

"Now, does anyone here have a romantic partner?" Esdeath uttered. No one raise their hands, save for one man with an eerie white mask and a built, tall body.

"It's…been six years now. I know I don't deserve so much love from her, but it's a fact!" Bols, as the man was called, said sheepishly. Tatsumi and Wave looked at the man in shock.

"Excuse me" Tatsumi raised his hand at shoulder level. "I don't think I would like to join the Empire itself. I'm glad that you like me, but…"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Tatsumi." Esdeath puffed her chest out. "I believe we can train you to be more obedient, in time."

"Lady Esdeath, maybe the guy's just a bit confused after what he's been through." A girl with orange hair tied to a ponytail said cheerfully. Tatsumi winced as he gazed at the woman; the woman who killed his comrade, Sheele.

Seryu patted Tatsumi's head. "We're all allies of justice here!" She assured. Tatsumi clenched his fist. His eyes blazed with anger. He wanted to lash out at her. He wanted to shout out his frustrations at the girl who caused him anguish and pain. Yet, he bit his lip in an attempt to stop his emotion from materializing. After all, if he fought back due to his own passion, wouldn't he be ignoring the lessons from his Big Bro? This was the most logical decision he could make, for his own safety and the safety of his group.

"Don't you remember me? I think I met you in the slums…" Seryu said as she stopped patting.

"Oh, I think I remember a little." Tatsumi glared at her with a smile.

"Oh, what a good thing then!" Seryu clasped her hands together. "If that's the case, then you can trust me, right? We won't do any harm to you. You're part of _us_ now!"

" _Dammit, she's annoying. The next time we meet, I hope it's in the battlefield, where my blade can reach her. Anyway, so that blue-haired girl's the general of the empire, Esdeath, huh? She's a person who appears as a woman of battle, a woman of valor. She's the representative of all corruption and greed in this empire. In short,_ _ **she's the enemy**_ _. She doesn't look like it, but my instincts are telling me that she's a very dangerous person to deal with. That, coupled with the status of this place as the last place a rebel would dare visit, makes me want to stay vigilant. Any time, my secret might get exposed. I should do this, for the revolutionary army; For Night Raid!"_

"I'm still waiting for that tea, you know." Saitama said.

"What the hell are you talking about at a time like this, Saitama!" Tatsumi bursted out. Esdeath looked at the caped baldy seriously. She chuckled.

"It seems I'm getting to your bad side, then." Esdeath smiled not as a woman, but as the general: with the pride of the empire itself. "Unfortunately, you have to wait for a while. You, Saitama, will be meeting with the Emperor himself, after all."

"Oh, you know me?" Saitama asked.

"Yes, I have heard your name mentioned by the Three Beasts until their demise. Do you recognize that title?"

"Not really." Saitama said, garnering the interest of the general.

"So they were so weak that you never noticed them, huh? I would like to know more in the presence of His Highness himself."

"What do you mean, Lady Esdeath?" a man with short facial hair, glasses, and clad in a white lab coat said. "Lady Esdeath, this man is nowhere near my ideal. His face looks bland, he has a weird outfit, and the general vibe anyone gets with a look at him makes everything awkward. While you, on the other hand, show your incredible beauty as you walk through the plains of the battlefield. That triumphant smiles of yours brings tears to my face whenever I imagine it! Indeed, the reason I follow you is because you are **the most stylish**." The man said as he made weird, flashy poses, much to Esdeath and the Jaeger's chagrin.

"That's just rude. Alright, let's go then. I don't want to waste much time. I've got a job to do." Saitama sighed as he went to the door. As he reached towards the door, the door opened.

"Lady Esdeath, the emperor is ready for the guest. I have also researched about the area around Gyogan Lake. I will explain the details in private."

"I see." The general turned to her subordinates. "It seems you guys will be receiving your first big mission. We'll be going after our meeting with the emperor. Follow me, Saitama." Esdeath said as she proudly marched towards the Emperor's throne room.

"I guess I'll see you soon then, Tatsumi." Saitama said before following Esdeath.

" _Dammit, don't leave me with these weirdos!_ " an annoyed Tatsumi replied.

000

"So…what exactly does the emperor want with me?" Saitama said with his ever blank expression. The two, along with a pair of guards, walked through the ornate, silent Imperial halls. The light of the noon sun hardly crept through the tainted glass panes of the windows, which were uniformly laid out on the walls opposite to several rooms.

"I honestly don't know." Esdeath closed her eyes as she thought of any reason. "But I am sure that He, alone, didn't want to meet you."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"To make it short, I believe you were recommended by the old geezer to the Emperor himself."

"Old geezer?"

"The truth is, I had the idea of recruiting you to the empire. We need someone who has the strength to rival the Three Beasts after their deaths. The Jaegers have great potential, but they still need to hone their skills and improve themselves. You, on the other hand, are someone who has already reached that potential. With your pre-established strength, I am sure you can be a great asset to the empire."

"You…didn't really answer my question." Esdeath stopped and turned to face Saitama.

"Yes, that man was the problem. Unfortunately for me, I got found out by the Great General Budo through his personal guards. They litter the palace itself. Even these two are part of them." Esdeath said as she pointed to the guards behind Saitama. Both visibly shook. "It's alright. I have nothing against you." She relieved them.

She continued to walk. "For some unknown reason, the old geezer wanted to introduce you to His Highness and the Prime Minister. You should be honored to meet them. They have the highest positions in the empire; the most important people in the world."

"I don't really care if their executives or something though." Saitama scratched his head.

Esdeath raised her brow at the seemingly aloof man. "Why is that so?"

"Yeah…I think it started back when I was job hunting." Saitama clenched his fists. "The interviewers kept saying they were going to 'call me' if I got the job or not. In the end, I got interviewed by a number of interviewers and no one called me back. Don't you just hate that?"

"I have no idea what you're saying." Esdeath said blankly. "Besides, that doesn't matter. It's all in the past. What matters now is that you're strong, and you could help the empire by joining us!"

Saitama kept silent as they arrived at two ornate doors with gold embroidering the façade of the door frames. The doors were of high quality wood, and it was elegantly carved by master artisans of the empire. This was truly a place fit for an emperor.

Esdeath pushed open the door and allowed Saitama to enter. Saitama gazed at the wonderful architecture and interior design of the room. The entire area was ornamented with expensive red, gold, and purple fabrics. The royal insignia flashed directly above the throne of the emperor himself.

"It seems he is here." A fat man beside the emperor stated as he took a piece of meat and tore a chunk out of it with his bare teeth. He was the prime minister of the empire, named Honest (ironically). "Argh yeu shure hish zhe wan, Budjo?" * Are you sure he's the one, Budo?

"No doubt about it." A muscular, armored man replied on the foot of the stairs leading to the Emperor's platform. "He's the one we need."

"Then let's start." A boy no older than the preadolescent age said as he held his golden scepter as the absolute authority within the empire. "Introduce yourself."

"Oh, uhm…hey there? I'm Saitama…nice to meet you I guess." Saitama said as he waved his hand to the child.

The Prime Minister bit his tongue and looked at Saitama furiously. Blood trickled down the edge of his lips. " **Such rudeness towards the Emperor. Have you no shame?** "

"Ah" Saitama uttered as he held his chin and thought of a better greeting. "How about… how's your day?"

" **FOOOOL** " The minister shouted as he approached the baldy. "Are you truly so idiotic that you won't even recognize His Highness' glory and power? Budo, this man doesn't seem like the person you would like to introduce. For His Highness' well being, tell us why we should even consider sparing his life."

"Fine." Budo closed his eyes while keeping the stern look on his face.

"This man has the potential to be the greatest soldier in the empire. At least, he is so much stronger than everyone including the generals."

"You…respect him that much?" the emperor himself stood from his seat. "This is the first time General Budo commended a person to that extent! This man truly must be powerful."

"No, no, no, this is impossible, your Highness. If a man truly was powerful, he would have self respect and recognition by now. This man doesn't even look like he has the pride and physique to be a soldier at most!" The Prime Minister ranted. "I am sorry, but I think General Budo here needs to have a checkup with the doctors. I believe he needs new spectacles as well, right, General Esdeath?"

"Unfortunately, Prime Minister, I cannot entirely do so." Esdeath shook her head. "I cannot say that he can be the greatest soldier, but I _can_ attest to his prowess in the battlefield."

"Pardon?" Honest looked at Esdeath, surprised.

"Saitama may not look much, but he singlehandedly defeated two of my Three Beasts. According to their reports just before their untimely deaths, he did so in an unorthodox way. However, despite his awkward fighting, Saitama overwhelmed Nyau and Liver with his raw power and speed. Safe to say, he does have incredible potential. But if I cannot see him fight myself, I cannot say he could be the strongest." Esdeath winked.

"Well, if two of our greatest generals can say he's powerful…" The emperor said in a naïve way. "…then we should look forward to his inauguration as a soldier."

"But Your Majesty…" Honest looked at him with a smile, which hid his disagreement. "If he becomes a soldier of the empire, it is possible that our image in the battlefield could be reformed to a ridiculous one. We might lose the noble face we once had if his blank face appears!"

"That is why we are going to hone him." Budo interrupted as he sternly looked at the Prime Minister. "We will transform him to a soldier the empire would be proud of, _unlike the corrupt vestigial parts of the empire_." The Prime Minister glared back at the General with a Maniacal smile, but did not respond to the taunt.

"Do I have a say in this?" Saitama said with a raised brow. Everyone's attentions turned to him once more. "I didn't even say I wanted to be a soldier of the empire."

The emperor hummed. "Who _doesn't_ want to be a soldier? Don't you want to have a noble job of protecting the empire?"

"No way. It's too troublesome. What's a kid doing on the throne anyway?" At the mention of the last sentence, the Prime Minister's eyes widened.

"That's a serious…" Before he could even finish his statement, Saitama was already on top of the platform, specifically in front of the emperor himself. " **This is a serious offense!** "

"W-What are you doing in front of me without my permission?" the emperor said as he raised his scepter towards Saitama's head.

"Listen, kid. This is a matter of **adults**. You should stay in your room or whatever."

Honest rushed toward Saitama and held him by the shoulders. " **Who the fuck do you think you are, talking to the emperor like that?** "

"Emperor? There's no way that kid's an emperor. Everyone needs to reach a certain age to have their driver's license, you know."

" **Nonsense. His Highness is perfectly capable of decision making on the matters of the Empire** " The Prime Minister gazed at Saitama with murderous intent before chewing on his meat.

"Yeah, I doubt that." Saitama said as he pushed Honest to the side. "Kid, are you sure you're the emperor?"

"Do you doubt my skills as a leader?" The emperor grits his teeth as he sneered at the Baldy.

"Yes." Saitama said blankly. The emperor was visibly shaken by how direct the man was.

" **You…Bastard…** " Honest wrapped his arm around Saitama's neck and silently aimed his revolver at Saitama's back. " **Do you really think you can get away with this?** "

"You…trying to hug me?" Saitama said as he grasped Honest's arm. At that moment, Honest knew. **He fucked up**.

Honest screeched in pain as he released of his revolver and visibly cringed at the grip of the strongest hero. "Let…let go! Please, I beg of you!" The Minister cowered with tears rolling on his cheeks as Saitama released him from his ordeal. Esdeath looked on with a subtle smile.

"Well, whatever. You could try to convince me to become a soldier today, but I can only do so until tonight. I'm on night shift today." Saitama proceeded to walk down the stairs as the emperor himself glared at his bald head.

"General Esdeath." He uttered. "you will be in charge with his punishment for disobedience. Do as you wish with him. General Budo, please explain to Honest about this matter. That is all. You are all dismissed."

000

Saitama, Esdeath, and two guards walked through a dark, bloody corridor. The odor of rotten flesh and deadly chemicals filled the stagnant air in the poorly ventilated area. Screams were muffled by special instruments designed to hurt its wearer the more they make their blood-curdling screams. Instead, the screams that _should_ be echoing through the torture chamber's walls were replaced by the metal instruments of doctors performing live experiments or the flogging noises emitted by torturers and their whips. The entire area was enlightened by grilled dim incandescent light bulbs that flickered every now and then.

"Here you are" Esdeath said as she unlocked a heavy metal door with several scratches adorning it's façade. Only a single window with three grills was present. "The Jaegers have a mission today, so I will make it quick. However, don't expect me to do light damages, as you disrespected the emperor himself." Esdeath went to a nearby table with several instruments of torture place on it, including a pair of pliers, scissors, syringes with questionable fluids in it, scalpels, and a whip. She took the whip and inspected the poison barbs on it.

With a speed faster than the guards can see, she lashed her whip towards the baldy.

"W-Where?"

"Oh, sorry." Saitama said as he undressed himself. "Genos made my clothes, and he did a pretty good job replicating my old one. It'd be pretty rude if it gets ruined."

Saitama unzipped his tracksuit, and ended bare with only his underwear remaining. "Hmm, I guess this is good enough. Go ahead."

"I see you're someone who cares for his comrade. It's a noble personality soldiers should look up to." Esdeath said with a smile.

"Actually, he's my disci-" Esdeath flogged Saitama with her whip at an inhuman speed. "That won't stop your punishment, Saitama. I was merely complimenting you."

"Is that so?" Saitama said. Esdeath gazed at Saitama's unscratched body before inspecting the poison barbs once more. She stepped forward and lashed out ten whips on his body.

"What is going on?" Esdeath thought to herself as she noticed that Saitama's body didn't receive any damage from the flogging. "Usually, full powered whips could crush a boulder. Ten of those whips could normally turn a man to mush in mere moments. However…"

"Your whips are too weak." Saitama uttered to the silent Esdeath. "Maybe if you put more effort to it, you could break the skin."

"Perhaps so." Esdeath concentrated on Saitama's body. She used everything she had learned in the human body. He analyzed Saitama's perfectly human anatomy and focused on his body's pressure points. Normally, humans that are hit in these points are paralyzed for the rest of their lives while feeling the pain of the initial strike until they are released from their torments by death. However, would it really work against someone with such a durable physique? She unleashed a hundred flogging techniques upon each pressure point with her full strength in each strike.

"A monster…" the guards thought as they watched the general unleash her attacks. Each strike sent a shockwave that reached the corners of the room and sent a current of air that flowed through the small window and to the ends of the foul-smelling corridor and gave the tormented prisoners a subtle sense of freshness and relief, at least for a moment.

Esdeath stopped and caught up with her breath as she looked at what she had done.

"I'm sorry, but is the punishment done?" Saitama said as he scratched his head. "Can I take a bath afterwards? I think your whip's a bit dirty. It got marks on my body, too."

"You…may…" Esdeath uttered as she straightened her posture. "We're done here. Guards, bring him to the conference room, where he'll wait for our return."

Esdeath returned the whip on the table and left by herself. As she marched through the halls of pain, she thought, "All my techniques were all nothing to him. That had never happened before. Even if I use poison serums, there's no way to administer them through the parenteral method". She smirked. "I'm getting interested, Saitama."

000

"Damn, it's boring" Saitama leaned his back on his chair as he inspected the room. It had the same architectural design as the halls of the palace, so it didn't stand out. "I wonder how Genos is doing right now. He suddenly said he was going to do something, and I didn't really get a chance to ask him. Maybe he was making extra parts or something."

A squeak disturbed Saitama's thoughts, making him stand up.

"I hope you're doing well after Esdeath's punishments." A voice belonging to a child uttered as the emperor entered the room.

"Oh, it's the kid from a while ago." Saitama pointed out the truth.

"What you've said to me earlier was a bit disrespectful, like the Prime Minister said. That's why I've come to talk to you. Honest will be coming as well, after he finishes his own affairs." The emperor paused after two elite guards closed the door from behind him. "Although I have calmed down from our past encounter, I command you to stop referring to me as a child and begin to acknowledge me as an emperor from now on." The child raised his chin, as if he was imposing authority.

"Alright, Your Majesty." Saitama replied. The emperor smiled.

"Nah, that doesn't sound right. I _still_ don't see you as an emperor. You're just too young."

The emperor slightly wrinkled his forehead. "Weren't you punished by General Esdeath already? She's not one to disobey orders, and usually she performs above our expectations."

"Oh, yeah. I did get _punished_ , if that's what you call it. Didn't really do much, though." Saitama scratched his cheek. "Actually, she did put dirt all over my body. I had to scrub pretty hard to remove them."

"If…if I may, sir…" one of the elite guards whispered to the emperor.

"Hmm? What do you want?" he replied.

"I have heard from the two guards who witnessed his torture that this man took blows from General Esdeath's whip by the hundreds. They said they have never seen such extreme show of torture and strength from the General before. However, what shocked them the most was not her physical prowess and obvious sadistic nature, but this man's durability!"

"Durability? Honest greatly trusts Esdeath's capability as a torturer, and doubts a full beating from her would be survived from."

"Unfortunately, sir, this man in front of you did exactly that."

The emperor paused as he looked at Saitama, who returned it with his blank expression.

"No, I refuse to hear that from anyone else, other than General Esdeath herself or the Prime Minister."

"So, what do you want with me. You've been talking to that guard for some time now." Saitama asked. "Not that I mind, it's just a bit boring here after they left."

"This is the first time the emperor has been ordered for an answer" The emperor uttered as he smirked in irritation. "Let me answer you. Why can't I be an emperor at my age?"

"Obviously, you could do things you would regret when you're older."

"What do you mean by that? And why did you compare my situation to a 'driver's license' before?"

"Oh, I _did_ mention that, huh?" Saitama pinched his cheek and lowered his head in thought. "Well, I think I said that because an underage driver would get caught if they tried driving without a license. That doesn't apply to you, does it? Wait, let me think of another reason."

Saitama paused for a moment, and the emperor patiently waited. "Ah, that's right. If a person as young as you were to drive, you'll crash the car and your dad will scold you."

"My father has passed away when I was younger." The emperor said blankly.

"Oh…then, you'd get hurt if you crash." Saitama said with a smile. "It doesn't matter if you're an emperor or a driver or whatever. If you're young, you're inexperienced, and you don't know how to grasp how the world works, like how a kid won't know how to maneuver a car. Even if you knew the basics, what would happen if an accident happens and you crash? Do you know what to do in that situation?"

Flabbergasted by the sudden wisdom spouted by the baldy, the emperor thought of an answer. "Well, that's why the Prime Minister exists, right? He's my adviser, and I trust him that my regime wouldn't crash down, like you said."

"Nah, that just proves you're weak."

"W-What?" The emperor widened his eyes at the response. "How can you say that?"

"Well, even if you have an adviser or a teacher, in the end, it's you who have to decide, right? A teacher's there to guide you, but they won't last forever. What would you do if they're gone? How would you act when you have no one else to depend on? Can you really handle it all alone?"

"I…'ve been taught the basics at least…" the emperor lowered his head as he began analyzing what Saitama said.

"The basics could only take you so far, I guess." Saitama began contemplating on his previous experiences. "I went through school, and I actually graduated. I went job hunting, and discovered just how hard it was in the life of an adult. I had to pay taxes, rent, and I needed to find a source of money for food and water through part-time jobs. The way you are now, I doubt you'd survive in our world."

"Th-That's…" The Emperor could not determine a way to respond. In fact, everything Saitama said was true, and though he could not understand the commoners' way of life, he knew that he couldn't know, since he is a child, and lacked the knowledge of the world outside the empire.

"That is enough, Your Majesty." A familiar voice uttered behind him. "H-Honest"

"Please refrain from talking to that man. He will merely corrupt your precious mind." The Prime Minister went forward and blocked the emperor's view of Saitama.

"I suggest you leave this room, Your Majesty, or he will continue to degenerate you." Honest wrinkled his forehead and smiled maliciously at Saitama, who still responded with a blank expression. The Prime Minister followed, or rather pushed, the emperor outside the room and talked with the Baldy before leaving the room entirely. "I will make sure you won't leave unscathed. Remember this, Baldy."

As the door squeaked and closed, Saitama dropped himself on his chair and leaned back. "Well, that was dramatic. What's with this day? First, there's that feud with Aria and Kumi, now I get to deal with the emperor? This world's getting me a bit stressed."

A knock was heard on the door. "Another one? What the hell?"

The door opened, revealing a spiky haired General.

"Oh, you're that guy from the meeting with the emperor. Does everyone have some beef with me?"

"Come with me, I'd like to make a proposition"

"Well, if it ain't so dramatic, I guess…"

000

"Oh, the sun is going down." Saitama said as he looked through the windows. The orange sunlight colored the Imperial Palace with a burst of orange, while the Eastern side was beginning to be overtaken by the darkness.

"In truth, I have seen you before." Budo said as he went down the staircase. Saitama followed.

"Oh, really? Sorry, I don't remember."

"No, no, our meeting wasn't significant. If it were any other meeting, I would have considered it as nothing."

"Eh? Then why do you remember?" Saitama said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. They began approaching the training grounds, a bare grounded area with several weapons and training materials organized and lay beside a certain wall.

"That's because you did something I cannot do. You killed the colossal squid danger beast the other day."

"Oh…that one…Actually, I can't remember." Budo paused and looked at Saitama.

"You don't remember defeating such a powerful foe?"

"It's not that powerful, actually. At least, not enough to be remembered."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think I've killed too many monsters nowadays. You don't expect me to keep track of them all, right?"

"It's…sensible." Budo uttered as he continued to the training grounds.

"So, why'd you bring me here?" Saitama uttered as the two went to the center of the training grounds. A gust of wind greeted them both as Budo stopped walking.

"I figured I haven't introduced myself to you formally." Budo said as he faced Saitama. "My name is Budo, the Great General of the empire. I lead the Imperial Guards in protecting the empire and, most importantly, the palace where the Emperor resides."

After mentioning these, Budo knelt down. "The empire owes you, Saitama."

"Eh? What did I do?"

"As I stated earlier, you defeated a squid danger beast. It was looming over the capital's walls, and I tried defeating it. However, no matter what I did, the squid was simply too powerful. However, you suddenly arrived and defeated it with ease. With that, I am forever grateful."

"Well, it's nice to get some recognition and all, but I'm not used to people kneeling in front of me. Could you stop that?"

"Ah, yes." Budo uttered as he stood up. "The reason I brought you here is to spar with you."

"Spar? What for?" Saitama asked.

"Saitama, you showed incredible power when you defeated that danger beast. I would like to experience first-hand that power by sparring with you, if you don't mind."

"I don't really mind. I'm just surprised you'd attack someone you admire." Saitama said as he kept his distance, just like his last spar with Genos.

"I am used to attacking people I admire." Budo said as he prepared himself.

"That's actually kinda scary. You're the reason people have trust issues, you know?" Saitama said as he took off his jacket and threw it to the wall with the weapons.

"I don't attack people because I want to." Budo uttered as he tested his lightning on a wall. "I attack people only if it is for the greater good of the Empire. If I spar with you, I might learn techniques from you and grow stronger as a soldier."

"Fine, let's just start already. It's getting dark."

"Thank you." Budo said as he charged up his Adremelech. The pistons on his forearms lengthened and sparked. He rushed forward and delivered a strike aimed at Saitama's forehead. Saitama dodged to the side, making Budo fly towards the nearby wall. Budo stepped on the ground as an attempt to stop his fist from reaching the wall. However, the momentum was too strong, and the wall cracked with the impact of his fist. Budo used his lightning speed and leaped from wall to wall. As Saitama tried to monitor Budo's movements, Budo leaped towards Saitama's blind side.

"Dodge this!" Budo shouted as he sent a kick towards Saitama's torso.

"Dammit" Budo uttered as he went through the afterimage. "Where is he?"

"Right here." Saitama said on top of the wall. "Sorry, I couldn't control where I was going, and ended up here."

"It doesn't matter." Budo said as he charged his Imperial Arms once more. This time, a dark cloud gathered above the training area. Thunder echoed through the palace walls. "I'll get you with this. **Lightning Crash** "

A bolt of lightning struck directly above Saitama. The bright flash of lightning surrounded the area as Budo stared at the crater of the attack on the ground.

"Damn, you could have burnt my clothes there. I could have ended up buck naked."

"You avoided it with such speed?"

"Hey, man. It's not my fault you're shouting your attacks. Even Genos sometimes does it. It kind of gives the attack away, don't you think?"

"I see." Budo said as he began to levitate into the air.

"Woah, you're flying."

Budo glared at Saitama and sent bolts of electricity consecutively, so as not to affect the palace much. Saitama dodged to his left and his right, easily but narrowly avoiding the lightning with limited movements.

"How's this possible? My lightning is faster than ordinary lightning!" Budo commented.

"Really? They look a bit too slow for me." A voice uttered behind him. Before Budo could look behind him, Saitama sent a powerful chop on his shoulder, sending him to the ground.

"Sorry I had to end it. It's already the evening, and I really need to work now." Saitama said. In truth, he was getting irritated by the Empire's constant _tests_ he has to go through.

"Ah, it seems I lost." Budo said as he raised himself from the crater. "Thank you for your time."

"You're welcome."

"With your existence, I am assured of the Empire's survival."

"Why?" Saitama said as he took his jacket.

"You see, Saitama. My family has been serving the Empire for several generations. In fact, it reaches all the way to the first Emperor. We've been protecting the Empire for as long as we remember. In fact, perhaps our entire _existence_ was for the purpose of serving the Empire. However, the increasing number and strength of Danger Beasts for the past few days may eventually overwhelm the army, and my lineage may end up dishonored by failing to protect the Empire from these beasts. Because of your strength, and your voluntary support of the Empire by protecting its citizens prove that the situation isn't entirely hopeless. It may not be obvious to the people right now because the information has not been revealed yet, but the number of Danger Beasts is dangerously increasing. You are the hero that gives the Empire hope of surviving."

"That's a bit too much." Saitama said as he helped Budo stand back on his feet. "I'm a professional hero, but I used to do this for a hobby."

"A hobby?"

"Yeah, one day I protected some butt-chinned kid from a crab monster. After that, I trained to become a hero, and here I am."

Budo sighed. "If only it was that easy to be someone you want. I believe the Empire's corruption needs to be removed, but our priorities right now are towards the Revolutionary army. Because they keep creating chaos, I end up needing to eliminate them before moving on."

"Can't you just talk with them?" Saitama asked naively.

"As if they would listen." Budo replied. "They're scum of the earth who need to be killed for trying to bring down the Empire."

"But you _did_ try talking with them, right? **"** Saitama asked with a concerned face. Budo remained silent as he looked at Saitama. "Did…we…"

As he was about to respond, a massive explosion drove their attentions to the Western side of the Palace. The sound of soldiers marching towards the origin of the explosion was suddenly quelled as a faint orange light and the sound of smoldering was heard. Budo grit his teeth.

"What the hell is going on?" Budo uttered before another explosion surprised them, as a massive hole was blown through the wall of the training grounds and fire rushed in.

"Fire? Is there an Imperial Arms user here?" Budo shouted as he levitated on the air. As he looked down, he saw a familiar person.

"Genos…you know I was trying to protect what you made, right?" Saitama said in his birthday suit (naked).

"I'm sorry, master. I asked people if they had seen you, and they said you were taken by the Empire, so I decided to infiltrate the palace myself to save you." Our favorite cyborg said mechanically.

"Oh, you have new parts?" Saitama said as he gazed at the Jade façade Genos placed above his arms, legs, and torso.

"No, master. This is armor I forged from a nearby mountain. I noticed that they had different ores in this world that were several times more powerful than our world's, so I smelted them to create a façade that can protect my parts from further damage."

"I see."

"By the way, master." Genos said as he aimed his incinerator towards the man floating directly above them. "Is he bothering you? If so, **I will incinerate** "


	8. Shocking

"Impressive" Budo uttered as he brushed the blood dripping from the edge of his lips off. "Your technologically advanced body gives you a variety of abilities that is beyond us humans. The skills you've honed makes you a beast to deal with. In fact, I would go as far as saying that a general is the lowest rank needed to defeat someone of your caliber. Indeed, the empire will prosper if you join the army."

"Nonsense." Genos replied in a stern manner. "Your words of praise are not even close to the truth. My inexperience shows itself in battle in the form of carelessness. I cannot even assure the public that I will win against all odds. Instead, your praise should be directed to the true hero, Master Saitama. His destructive power and heroic philosophy is the ideal man who needs it the most."

Saitama picked a booger in his left nostril with his pinky finger. "I wonder what's for dinner tonight."

"Unfortunately, praise from the enemy is not what I desire right now. You have to pay for disturbing Master Saitama's precious time." Genos squinted in anger.

"Try if you must. As a great general of this empire, I will not lose easily." Budo charged his Imperial Arms. "This may be the Imperial Palace, and I might be risking the lives of everyone around it, but by focusing in this particular training area alone, I can unleash a bit of my power!"

Budo levitated higher from his previous position. The clouds above grew thicker by the second. Thunder crashed through the massive clouds as the silhouette of the Great General showed imposingly above the Demon Cyborg.

" **Advent of the Thunder Emperor** "

Budo surrounded himself with several pillars of lightning and ordered the beams to descend to the training grounds in such a speed.

Genos winced as he slammed the ground below him. Sparks of electricity began to cover him as his boosters began to emit increased energy.

" **Accelerate** "

Genos levitated and narrowly dodged each pillar of electricity. "You are not the only one who can levitate, General Budo" Genos said as he shifted his weight from left to right as a beam of electricity was directed at him.

"Which of us is the fool, then? You are the one who entered my area of expertise." Budo shouted as the beams of electricity bent towards the Demon Cyborg.

"Tsk" Genos activated the incinerators in his palms and glided through the air in an attempt to escape the torrent of electricity surrounding him. He twisted and turned through the volley of clouds with great dexterity.

"It's no use! You are in my palm now" Budo sent more beams of electricity to Genos.

"This is bad. The electricity of those lightning bolts might interfere with my core's efficiency. In that case…" Genos thought as he increased the distance between him and Budo.

"Where are you going?" Budo uttered as he appeared behind Genos. Budo punched Genos with his electrically charged pistons at lightning speed, sending him back to the training grounds.

"I thought you were much more honorable as a warrior. I never would have thought you would go as far as trying to escape." Lightning bolts significantly wider in diameter than his previous ones began to surround Budo. "Unfortunately, I have to end this. Eat this."

The lightning bolts struck the training grounds at an exceedingly destructive rate. The focal point of them all was Genos' metallic body. It vaguely resembled a massive, reversed long-needled sea urchin in which its glow enlightened the grounds around the training area itself. The lightning crashed through the grounds, cracking it extensively and sinking the particular area due to the immense force of Budo's attack. Budo levitated downwards to see if his opponent had finally melted to the point of no return. Budo winced.

"I commend the destructive capacity of your tools you have there." A voice said behind him.

"All that power was used…for an afterimage?" Budo said as he gazed from behind his shoulder.

Budo's face wrinkled in anger as he faced his opponent. "What an irritating man. You will-" Budo raised his arm towards Genos as a faint spark of electricity appeared.

"You seem composed even after releasing that much energy. You have nothing left, however." Budo's face shot up as he gazed at his gauntlets. The spark he released earlier was the last charge the pistons could pump out.

"But how…Ah, it seems I was not prepared for a major battle today." Budo glanced at his useless pistons. "I could've used solid shooter…dammit"

"My sensors indicate that the electrical storage in your tools were not inexhaustible. Initially, I was going to increase my distance from you in an attempt to discharge it, but it would seem you were simply faster in the air than me. However, it was unwise of you to focus so much power on one area, not realizing that I was much faster on the ground. In the end, despite your power as a warrior, you are no match."

Genos raised his arm, with his palm facing Budo's body. Budo grit his teeth.

"What is this? I...am paralyzed?" Budo uttered as his digits twitched. However, unbeknownst to the Great General, the immense fear appeared to firmly grip his body. "I…cannot dodge this…His range is too wide, and my condition is…unfavorable. Is this…my grave?"

"I will **incinerate** " Genos said coldly as his palms began to glow bright.

"I see. It seems I am a failure as a general of the empire…All the training…was all for naught…" Budo closed his eyes as he prepared for the results of his failure: his death. He silently prayed to the gods he previously mocked to be born much more powerful so he could bring the empire to its former glory.

He heard a roaring inferno ravage its way towards his body. The heat of the fiery gale surrounded Budo's senses as if he was directly transported to the gates of hell, awaiting his entrance. The sharp pungent smell of the incinerator penetrated Budo's nostrils. He stumbled backwards to the ground, wishing to cease the anxiety of feeling the pain of scorched flesh.

However, the heat diminished. The pungent smell dissipated and the roar turned to a silent growl. Budo opened his eyes to see that his opponent was still standing on the ground. However, in front of his adversary, a bald, bare man stood.

" **Genos, if you kill that guy, we're going to spend our lives in prison**." Saitama said with an irritated face.

"But master, they troubled you by forcing you to this palace!" Genos reasoned out. "I have heard rumors that prisoners of the palace often receive harsh tortures that lead to death or life-long disorders."

"Yeah, they did try to torture me" Saitama scratched his cheek.

"Unacceptable. As your student, I shouldn't have let you go through these punishments alone." Genos lowered his head as his eyes glowed in response to the anger he felt.

"Woah, take it easy." Saitama said as he raised his hands to his shoulder's level. "I didn't really care, but I would've been jailed if I didn't follow. It took only five minutes, too, so don't worry too much."

"Anyways, I'm hungry. Let's go home." Saitama said with his trademark apathy as he walked through the large hole his disciple created.

"Master!" Genos said as he raised his head and followed his master's steps.

"Oh, by the way, Genos, nice armor. Where'd you buy that?"

"Ah, this, master? My sensors indicated that there was a mineral only located in this world at a nearby mountain. It was a lightweight and incredibly durable metal, so I mined it and used my incinerators to mold them to armor to prevent casualties only the doctor could fix."

"Oh, is that so?"

"They were also worth a fortune when I asked the local blacksmiths about it."

"Woah, seriously? Maybe we could make it in the capital, after all. Well, I guess there's those pesky soldiers would be problematic." Saitama chuckled at the thought.

The duo talked about mediocre topics. It was as if they were simple commoners going on and about their lives indifferently.

Budo lay down on the cracked training grounds, defeated. "In the end, they weren't so average after all. Those two…I thought they simply had incredible potential as soldiers for the empire. However, even if the other threatened me with death, it seems as if his master doesn't even have the blood lust to order that. There's no way he could be a threat to the empire. No, perhaps he really is what the empire needs. An ideal soldier…" Budo chuckled at the thought of his truthful silliness before he raised his body.

His eyes widened at the sight of Saitama's silhouette embossed on the ground he currently stood on. He looked around himself and saw black, scorched Earth still hot from the cyborg's incineration. The smell of burning soil filled the area as a chill sent down his spine. The destruction in the training grounds was absurd, and yet the intimidating figure of a bald man on the ground stood victorious above it all. The question arose once more: Is Saitama a threat to the Empire, after all?

000

The Jaegers arrived at a fortress: the bandits' den. Six soldiers with Imperial Arms went forth and arrived at the fortress' entrance.

"So this is our first mission, eh?" Dr. Stylish uttered with a smile. "Not bad…"

"Yes, and we shall strike Justice through the front entrance. We will show them that justice isn't scared of anything at all!" Seryuu shouted as she rushed forward. A gong began to sound as dozens of soldiers apprehended them.

"You've got guts to attack us through the front entrance, you bitch!" a soldier said as they aimed their weapons at the group.

"Koro, number 5" Seryuu shouted as her Imperial Relic grew and bit her left arm. She smiled menacingly as the organic weapon released its bite, revealing a massive drill.

" **Enma's Spear of Justice** " Seryuu Ubiquitous shouted as she struck forth the wall of humans, easily piercing through a wall of flesh and bones in an instant.

"Number 7" Seryuu uttered as Koro did the same procedure. " **Mount Taizan Cannon of Justice** " She shouted as she aimed an anti-materiel gun at the bandits' gates and blasted it.

"Everyone, the door is open. Let's start the raid." She shouted as her fellow Jaeger members entered the fortress.

Kurome ran inside and released a barrage of precise slashes, killing a dozen of bandits in an instant. She chuckled with this image. "After all this is over, I'll have fun with you, my dolls."

After uttering these "innocent" lines, a man hid from the corner of a nearby building. He stepped forth and leapt towards the girl with a cry. His face was crushed to the ground as Wave kicked him from behind.

"You know, you should be more careful in these situations. You'll get killed if you don't." Wave said with a smile.

"Stop acting like you're cool. I wanted to kill him myself." She said nonchalantly. "Wait, you knew he was there?"

"Take this!" Bols said as he introduced flame to the bandits' bodies. "This is Purgatory's Invitation: Rubicante. No hard feelings, this is my job alone". The fire engulfed the bandits whole and left them as either ashes or simple corpses with nothing to indicate their previous identities other than charred flesh and bones.

Several feathers appeared as light that pierced through several bandits. Run flew with white wings through the area as he gazed at the fortress with the light of the moon revealing his angelic silhouette. "An angel…defeated me?" one of the bandits uttered before a feather went through his skull. "The thousand-mile flight: Mastema lets me soar the skies. It's impossible for you to escape your fates."

The fire blazed as the six walked through the wasteland.

' _Amazing'_ Tatsumi thought. _'It would seem that they're capable of taking on Night Raid themselves. So this is the power of the Jaegers…_ '

Tatsumi and Esdeath gazed at the fiery area. However, there was something that gained their attentions. Esdeath squinted. "The fire is…being extinguished?" She said as different beings appeared to pump water to the fires.

"Hmm? Interesting" Dr. Stylish uttered as beings looking like shelled mollusks appeared and spouted water from inside their shells. "This is certainly a new type of Danger Beast."

"Wait, are those…mussels?" Wave said as he pointed at the monsters. "I haven't seen Mussels _that_ big in the ocean before."

"Perhaps they'll be good puppets" Kurome smiled as she rushed forward and struck the monster's shell.

"Humans? Hehehe, we'll be having humans for dinner, boys!" The mussel man shouted as it released a powerful stream of water towards Kurome. Kurome looked at the stream and narrowly dodged it with her speed. She held her cheek and noticed a wound.

"Definitely good puppets"

"Kurome, get behind me!" Bols shouted as he unleashed fire towards the mussel man, essentially boiling him inside. "With years of me and Rubicante together, Only now have I seen its fire extinguished at such a fast rate. These men…are much different"

"Are you okay?" Bols said. "We'll have to treat that wound at home, okay?"

"It's not that bad, Bols" Kurome stated as she stood up, ready to fight once more.

"Shitty soldiers, how dare you kill our men!" another mussel man said as they aimed for Bols.

"It seems they've got me as a target" Bols said as he aimed Rubicante at the monsters. "Then I'll have to live up to their expectations."

The monsters combined their streams of water, which met the fire from Bols' Imperial Arms.

"Wh-What? He's holding us off with fire?" a mussel man said.

"I can't let Bols fight you bastards alone!" Wave said as he approached the mussel men.

"Shit! We're too busy maintaining this pressure of water!" the men said as Wave proceeded to slice each limb away from their bodies. The attack completely broke down the pressure, allowing the fire to engulf the mussel men.

"Woah" Wave said as he saw himself floating in mid-air.

"You better be careful, Wave." Run said as he grabbed Wave by his clothes. "That fire could have burnt you to crisp as well."

"Ah, thanks, Run." Wave said as he got dropped near the group.

"There's more!" Seryuu shouted as a group of mussels began charging towards them. She smiled maniacally. "Koro, Number 1"

" **Shinkou's ball of Death** "

Seryuu whipped a large flail and crashed through the mussels, ripping their shells through.

"Justice is served!" She said as she began to pave a way for her comrades.

"It seems they are coming through that specific building." Dr. Stylish shouted as he noticed the particular building. "If we get past through all of them, we'll be able to get to their headquarters!"

"Yes, Doctor!" Seryuu shouted for the number 7th weapon.

"Enma's Spear of Justice. Let's drill through their defenses and get these evil-doers to hell" She said as rushed through the gates. Dozens of mussel men were ripped apart as the drill was an incredible weapon that can both break their durable shells and ignore the water stream they release due to the drill's revolution.

However, the drill was eventually halted.

"What?" Seryuu lifted her eyes as she saw a tougher variation of the mussel man: the oyster man. "He…stopped the spear?"

The oyster grunted as it punched the drill, sending Seryuu away. "Koro, attack!" She said as her Imperial Relic obeyed. Koro grew larger and tried to bite the oyster's head. However, the force of his bite wasn't enough to break the shell, but the shell's sharp edges actually injured it. Despite that, the relic kept biting the oyster man until the oyster released a stream of water, sending Koro away with a hole through its face.

"Everyone, move!" Bols shouted as he aimed Rubicante at the Oyster man guarding the entrance. "I will boil the danger beast from inside, and if we incinerate them at the entrance, it would be like extinguishing ants by pouring molten lead to its entrance!"

He unleashed hell to the Oyster man, which initially stood its ground. However, the fire's pressure forced him inside the building. It roasted it so hard that the fire consumed every room of the structure. Eventually, the fire was so intense that the building began to disintegrate.

"Everyone, take cover!" Run said as he noticed the structure's instability. The group ran a considerable distance from the structure as it went down.

"Is it over?" Wave said as he gazed at the incredible fire of the building's ruins.

"No. There's one more." Kurome said as a figure stood up from the fires.

"Impossible! No one could survive this fire. Even if a burning person was to dive to the waters, fire this intense would still be there." Bols said as he gazed at the silhouette. It wasn't human like the rest of the monsters.

"Hehehe, to think the empire would be so damn weak." A raspy voice said as it left the flames. A being much larger than the others surprised the Jaegers.

"No damn way…" Wave looked at the familiar beast. "That's…"

"I am Nautilirious. I was born of the sea as a little clam shell. However, thanks to you humans and your excessive hunt of the Superclass Danger beasts, I claimed its territory and had all the inhabitants in it as food for myself and my species. Now, we have overpopulated, and we have decided to take upon new lands. Be glad, filthy humans, for we have chosen the empire as our new breeding spot." The nautilus-like monster uttered as it left the fires unscathed. "It seems you've brought us some of your ladies for our use, hehe"

"This is pretty serious, isn't it?" Wave said as he took his "key" from his scabbard and stabbed the earth with conviction.

" **Grand Chariot** " He shouted as a massive danger beast instantly appeared behind him and fused with him, leaving Wave in a black and blue armor. "As a man of the sea, I'll take you on!"

Wave leapt from his position and accelerated at an inhuman speed towards his target.

"That won't do" Nautilirious uttered as it wiggled its index finger left and right.

Shouting at the top of his lungs, Wave pulled his hand to a fist and delivered a punch to the Nautilirious' finger. A shockwave released from the collision had the ground beneath it cracked. However, both parties remained stationary.

"What…?" Wave said before getting punched sidewards to a nearby wall. The wall collapsed as it received Wave's body.

"Who's next?" the Nautilirious said as it raised its smoking fist. "I was having concerns since you pipsqueaks killed off my men, but it would seem you're merely all bark and no bite."

The Nautilirious rotated its body to see its surroundings due to its eyes being fixated on its body. "It seems everything has burnt down. Then…"

It faced Bols and unleashed an incredible stream of pressurized water. "YOU'RE NEXT"

"Look out!" Run said as he took Bols to the skies. The stream of water completely demolished five buildings straight down.

"That thing could've killed me. I'll offer you tea after this, Run" Bols said as he looked down at the monster.

"We're comrades now. It's natural for us to look out for each other." Run said with a smile. Bols replied with his right thumb up with an expression of gladness showing through his mask…yes, that doesn't make any sense.

"Watch out!" a voice shouted, making Run look down. Run dodged a pressurized stream once more as he distanced himself from the sea monster.

"Don't think you're safe after avoiding one of my water strikes, asshole." It stated.

"Evil… should…" a voice said in an undertone

"Hmm?"

"EVIL SHOULD BE ELMINATED" Seryu shouted with a twisted grin as she ordered Number 6 from Koro, which proceeded with her command. A massive armor-reinforced missile pinned Nautilirious as a target and sent it out towards the monster.

"Heh, take this!" Nautilirious sent its own stream of water. The two projectiles met, producing a massive explosion that covered the area in smoke. From the smoke, a wide grin was revealed in mid-air.

"I've got you exactly where I wanted you! Number 2, Koro!" Seryu shouted as Koro unveiled four missile turrets. Seryu's deranged face meant that she would love to see the threat eliminated as she went on and unleashed a volley of missiles towards the Nautilirious, resulting in a chain of explosions that further produced smoke around the area. Seryu landed on top of an unstable building as she gazed at the beauty of her creation.

"This is what happens when evil tries to triumph over Justice. Justice triumphs even more!" She laughed before she felt the ground shake.

No, it wasn't the ground. It was the building she stood on.

"What?" Seryu said as she looked around herself for a closer way to fall. "The buildings around me are gone? But they were just here-" another tremor shook, making her lose her balance. As she fell to the ground, an image formed in her peripheral vision.

" **Idiot** " it said.

In an instant, Koro leaped to her aid as it sacrificed itself to cushion the Nautilirious' powerful punch, essentially sending both of them to a nearby wall.

"A bunch of explosives ain't killing me, you know?" the monster said as fire began to rain from above.

"Eh, I can survive this fire. It's too weak, anyway. However…" Nautilirious frantically moved its eyes around. "I sense someone…a girl…so there's still another one."

"There you are!" the Nautilirious moved towards the girl's position, until the smoke cleared, revealing a titanic skeletal danger beast that towered over the remaining buildings of the fortress. Above the danger beast's head stood Kurome, who raised her sword to the skies.

"Wait, where did this thing come from?" Nautilirious uttered before being met by beam of energy that devoured the entire fortress.

"So this is their leader? I guess the mission's ended then" Kurome said triumphantly as she looked down on the changed terrain brought upon by Death Tagool.

"Oh, contraire." A voice shouted. As the debris suspended, Nautilirious stood with his arms covering his face. "The _mission_ is just getting started"

Death Tagool once again released a powerful beam of energy.

" **That won't work anymore** " he chuckled as he released his largest water beam that rivaled the Death Tagool's own energy.

"Impossible" Kurome said as she witnessed the two beings on a stalemate. "There's no way my Death Tagool isn't stronger than that thing"

"What was that?" Nautilirious heard. "Fine, let me show you my true power!"

The Nautilirious took a step forward, increasing the pressure of his water.

He took another step.

He stepped in once more.

The Death Tagool tried to stand its ground, but the power of the stream was overwhelming enough to force itself to move backwards.

"Why is he…so powerful?" Kurome squinted as she gazed at sea monster, which started to emerge victorious.

"Hahaha, after all the hardships of survival that I've been through, this is a piece of-" Nautilirious said before a massive shadow covered himself and the area around him. "What? Where'd the sun go?"

" **Hagelsprung** " the ice commander said as a massive glacier appeared below her. She allowed the gravity of the Earth to pull the hail of ice down to the great Nautilirious.

"Crap…I can't-" the Nautilirious leaped to avoid the beam of energy by the Death Tagool and released his own beam of pressurized water towards the ice commander's attack. "I can't avoid this…and that thing's too heavy and durable. It's-"

" **over** " Esdeath said as the glacier crashed on the Nautilirious. The weight of the ice crushed it, and the sheer size of it completely made the recovery of the Nautilirious impossible unless the ice was melted or crushed. Nautilirious was defeated.

"Incredible" Tatsumi said as he witnessed the woman, who had feelings for him, destroy a being strong enough to fend majority of the jaegers. "So this is the Empire's strongest…and the revolutionary army's enemy. No wonder we're having problems against the Empire. She's too damn powerful."

"Tatsumiiii, did you see~" Esdeath shouted with a joyful smile to her beloved. She stood on top of her glacier as the members of the Jaegers recollected themselves.

"They're powerful…" Bols said as he looked at his Imperial Arms with melancholic eyes. "To think that Rubicante's fires were extinguished by these creatures…the leader must be an S-class danger beast in his own right."

Kurome looked at Yatsufusa as her forehead creased in concern. "He even had the power to push back Death Tagool. I should've made him my puppet. Tsk, this is disappointing."

"General, what do you think that thing was?" Seryu wiped the blood dripping off the edge of her lips. "In the end, justice did prevail but…it took your power to take it down."

"I'm even surprised that the judgement of the ten heavenly kings wouldn't work on him." Dr. Stylish tapped his cheek. "I was sure my perfector made it powerful enough to destroy most things."

"I cannot answer your question." Esdeath said with a subtle smile. "It was a different type of Danger beast; I haven't encountered it before. Perhaps his body here would make good research material, however."

"They're called **Gastropodians** " Wave, now with Grand chariot unclad, said with his forehead furrowed.

"Care to explain what they are exactly?" Kurome raised a brow.

"If I remember correctly, we had an encounter with the mussel men when I was in the navy. The captain would say that we should steer away from them since it was their territory. We would kill them while the captain tried to know which part of the ocean is part of their territory and which isn't." Wave looked upward and held his chin. "In fact, mussel men are quite the delicacy. Occasionally, we tied one up and immersed him in boiling water. If cooked in a long period of time and just the right amount of heat, their insides would be creamy and smooth in texture and they would melt in your mouth once consumed."

"We don't need to know how it's cooked." Kurome further creased her forehead in irritation as she wiped the drool that dripped from her mouth. "How powerful were they?"

"We never wandered directly towards the center of the colony, but captain said that once an oyster man engages in the battle, you risk the sinking of the ship itself. But legend did say about the leader of them all: The Nautilirious. He was said to bring down an entire fleet of battleships from the navy in what they'd call the Great Naval Disappearance."

"I have read of the Great Naval Disappearance in the Empire's library before." Dr. Stylish said. "I believe they say that it's due to a storm that happened in that particular day that sweeped off the entire fleet."

"Yes, they say that the official report of the Empire was that it was done by a typhoon that could have wiped them out. However…"

"They were cover-ups, correct?" Esdeath said with her subtle smile.

"General, you knew?" Wave said with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were also a history buff."

"Not really" Esdeath chuckled. "I merely came upon it once when I was studying for ancient torture methods that might need rejuvenating. Anyways, there were several ideas that prove that it wasn't a simple typhoon that took the fleet. There were several holes in the story, including the supposed characteristic the Navy fleet had, which was their resistance to typhoons and storms, and the fact that, of the thirty ships assigned to the fleet, **none of them were found**."

"Impossible!" Seryu blurted out. "There's no way that all of those ships could've drowned."

"Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened." Esdeath lowered her hat's visor. "All of them were nowhere to be found. Only three bodies and ship debris floated when the recovery fleet came."

"That's a…massacre…" Seryu clenched her fists. "How could evil claim so many lives?"

"Legend says that Nautilirious and its kin ate them and used their boats as an underwater fortress. However…" Wave directed his view towards Esdeath. "That doesn't explain just _how_ they reached the mountains without gaining attention. In fact, I remember the rumors of Nautilirious being serpentine and massive enough to cover a city. We've only seen a small gastropod, but it's not even intimidating. It even has human appendages, for pete's sake! What do you think, lady Esdeath?"

"Excellent point." Esdeath nodded. "The danger beast could be weakened because of being out of water; therefore what we fought wasn't true sea form. I believe they may have controlled the bandits of the fortress…perhaps through blackmail. It wouldn't be surprising since their power is superior to the fodder soldiers. I commend their strength, but we are stand above them in strength and skill!" Esdeath stomped on a nearby block of ice and puffed her chest out. The Jaegers looked at their leader with triumphant smiles.

"Today, we finished our first mission not as individuals but as a group. May we continue to prosper in the name of the Emperor!" She announced as the Jaegers raised their fists high into the air in agreement.

"Justice has been served!" Seryu said with a salute. "Yeah, next time will be Night Raid!" Wave shouted with the jubilant atmosphere present.

"Heh, as if you could do much against them" Kurome said with a smug smile present in her face. "You couldn't even move that sea monster."

"Hey, you lost to him too, didn't you?"

"At least I stood more chance than you. Fufu~" She responded as she turned her back and ate some of her sweets.

"Don't turn your back on someone you're talking to!"

Meanwhile, Tatsumi gazed at the celebration of the group in utter anxiety. "This isn't good. I should tell Akame and the others about the presence of these beasts. But first and foremost, I need to get out of here."

000

"Well well, if it isn't some big shot I've got here!" a mysterious cloaked man said to a man in a nearby pub. The dark cityscape showed tall skyscrapers teeming with lights showing the busy office life despite the dead of the night. From afar, the sound of a siren blowed, signaling an ambulance driving off at high speed towards an unspecified location. The bright glow of neon lights from the downtown area barely penetrated the tinted glass of the pub. A multitude of people were walking with their eyes glued on their phones as they went past a nearby udon stall just parallel to the pub. Indeed, this was J-city.

"Hmm? Do I know you?" The man replied. He wore a red body fit costume with the iconic smiley face in his chest, yellow gloves and boots ensemble and some kind of overly large Japanese toy. This man is the A-class hero ranked 27th: Smile Man.

"I want to speak to you. In private." The man said with a grin on his face.

"You sound fishy, so n-" Smile man stopped as he looked at the people in the bar. He sighed. "You've really got me cornered, haven't you?"

The cloaked man responded with a smile.

The hero and the stranger went to a dark alley; both, ready to strike each other. "So, why are you doing this?" the hero asked.

The man raised his hood, revealing a man in his mid 20s with white spiky hair, tan skin and a scar marked like an X. "My name is Syura, and I want to know just how powerful **I** am by beating **you**."

"That's just cocky." Smile man flexed his right shoulder and neck before assuming a stance. "But for the sake of showing how immature you are, I'll fall to your trap. Ready when you are."

"Alright then." Syura leaped towards Smile Man at a great speed. Unfortunately, he was fighting an A-class hero. Smile man dodged and leaped from the wall to another wall. He raised his kendama above his head and threw the ball towards Syura.

"Woah!" Syura said as he narrowly avoided the powerful ball. He squinted his eyes and smiled. "So that's your skill, eh? Interesting."

"Is that so?" the ball seemed to bounce back to Smile Man's main kendama part. "Would you like to show off, too?"

"Why, don't mind if I do!" Syura leaped from wall to wall as well, targeting Smile Man once more. Smile man jumped and somersaulted to the roofs.

"Got y-" A massive smiley face immediately greeted Syura, making him cross his arms in defense. The ball sent him crashing through the roofs and nearly made him fall to the busy street below. Fortunately, he held himself with one arm on the roof's ledge.

"Damn, that's some power." Syura said to himself as he raised his other arm and raised himself above. "My forearms went sore from that attack. You're certainly something, you assh-" Syura's eyes widened as Smile Man was gone. "Where'd that bastard go?"

Syura looked left and right and found no evidence as to where he might have gone. However, he felt a blunt pain strike his entire dorsal upper body.

"Are you sure you still wanna go with this?" Smile man shouted as he jumped from the streets to the roof. However, after he had landed, Syura did a handstand.

"Eat this!" Syura shouted as he rotated his legs.

' _He's gonna kick_ ' Smile man thought as he raised his kendama in an attempt to block a frontal attack. _However…_

"You just got trolled, bitch!" Syura kicked the hero from behind, sending him towards a nearby billboard.

Syura stood back on his feet with a triumphant smile. "Damn, it feels good to actually hit for once."

"You've got some bite in you, after all." Smile man said as recomposed himself. "But I've taken more damage from monsters than that kick."

"Eh? Most fodder pretty much die from those kicks. So that's the difference in universes, huh?" Syura stood with a smirk, curious of the detail.

"But thanks to that kick, I have an idea on how you fight." Smile man said as he held his weapon, ready to strike.

"Oh? I wonder how you could possibly take on multiple martial arts styles at once?" the prime minister's son boasted.

"How? Come at me."

" **Don't mind if I do** " Syura shouted as he leapt towards the hero. Smile man stepped forth and attacked head-on with his kendama.

' _Shit, I forgot how powerful that thing is'_ Syura thought. He stepped on the ground, forcing himself to come to a halt, and dodged backwards, narrowly avoiding the melee attack.

"You might have forgotten…"

"Huh?" Syura's smile of confidence was erased.

"…that I'm using a ranged weapon!" Smile man twisted his hips and sent forth his Kendama's smiley at full speed. Syura clenched his teeth as he tried to block once more with his forearms.

' _Dammit, it's too powerful'_ Syura thought as the wrecking ball charged him to the bulletin board, destroying a pillar and sending the board down to the streets.

"You…bastard…" Syura coughed out blood as he ran towards the hero. "I'll fucking destroy you."

" **Round-the-world beatdown** "Smile man raised his kendama and wildly threw the smiley ball, sending it through the battlefield at an unpredictable and immensely fast rate. Syura ran towards Smile Man's direction, only to be greeted by a Smiley to the face.

' _Dammit, I can't get near him. That damn ball is fucking everywhere, what the shit?_ ' Syura clenched his teeth as the ball continually hit him from different directions.

"I can't win this." Syura knelt on the ground, defeated.

"Oh, do you yield." Smile Man said as he caught his ball. He placed the kendama on his shoulders and approached the bloodied man.

"I-"

"This is why you shouldn't challenge heroes too much. We're just protecting you and all."

"I-"

"What did you learn from this encounter, then?" Smile man knelt to his level as he lent him his ear.

"I learned…Oh, I learned…

 **Shambhala** "

Ancient symbols illuminated from below as Smile Man's opponent stood with some sort of device in his hand.

"What are you-"

"If I can't defeat you here, then I'll have to defeat you in my territory **like the others** " Syura shouted maniacally as a brilliant light devoured its opponent.

"Heh, one more hero added to my kill list. They'd all make such good practice dummies." Syura breathed as he looked at the cityscape. "Soon, with all their powerful _heroes_ gone, I'll be having this advanced civilization all for myself. What a glorious day that will be!"


	9. Stylish isn't so stylish

"No…fucking…way…" Tatsumi said as his eyes shot towards the demon cyborg. "You did all **that**? By yourself?"

"I see no reason to be alarmed, Tatsumi." Genos said with a serious expression.

"Dude" Lubbock's lips puckered. "You just tore open a few holes into the _impregnable_ walls of the Emperor's palace. Don't ignore it as if it was nothing, especially after defeating **the** Great General Budo, of all people."

"Yeah, there's no way we wouldn't be awe-struck with what you just did!" Leone grasped her mug filled with beer and raised it towards him. "We kept telling you to stop and all, but what did you do? Shove us away and unleash that beam of fire through the cold concrete."

"Woah, seriously?" Tatsumi said in utter shock as he looked at the blonde. "But there were soldiers that came immediately, right?"

"Yep." Lubbock said. "They did. It's just that they got beat by a millisecond **max**." Tatsumi's eye twitched.

"At that time, I thought it could've been incredibly convenient to have a full scale revolution right then and there, especially with the Great General down and Esdeath just out of the capital." Mine said with a confident smirk. "We could be basking in the afterglow of our victory by now"

"Unfortunately, I am not working for your cause." Genos said coldly. "I am simply helping repay my Master's debt to you. That is all."

"Sheesh, could you cheer up a little?" Leone wrapped her arm around Genos' shoulder with her other arm holding her beverage. "Even if it's just a little feat to you, it _at least_ raises our morale."

"In any case" Akame stood to assert her authority as the substitute leader. "How powerful do you think is the Great General, Genos?"

Genos looked at his master, as if waiting for his approval.

"Eh?" Saitama, who was reading a manga Lubbock lent him, said in response to his student's gesture. "What?"

"Should I tell these people about him, Master?"

"Well, why not?" Saitama raised the manga to continue reading it.

"Master Saitama, these people are probably planning to kill this man in an attempt to usurp the Empire. Are you fine with that?"

Saitama sighed as he flicked to the next page. "Genos, is this guy strong?"

"Yes, Master."

"And just how strong?"

"Well, he is surprisingly agile and strong to the point that he could almost keep up with my speed."

"Then they'd probably have a hard time beating him there…"

Genos paused for a moment before his golden pupils lit up. "I see!"

"Eh?" a bead of sweat dropped from Saitama's temples.

' _I see now. Master Saitama is telling me that these people don't stand a chance against the General. Not only that, but he also pointed out that the area is perhaps littered with traps and soldiers now.'_

"As expected of Master!" Genos smirked at a bewildered Saitama. ' _What did he get now?'_

"Akame, the Great General of the Empire is strong in his own right. He has the power to manipulate the weather to attack his enemies with beams and orbs of lightning."

"I see. Nothing less from the Great General himself. What else does he have in store?" Akame said.

"He also has the ability to levitate in mid-air. In terms of physical prowess, he is well and above Night Raid's skills individually. If you truly wish to defeat him, you need either overwhelming power above his or strategy."

After the revelation of the cyborg, the assassination team went silent.

"So this guy ain't smallfry, huh?" Tatsumi said as he unsheathed Incursio from its scabbard. "Overwhelming power… Will you help me adapt through, Incursio"

"What are you talking about, Tatsumi?" Mine placed her fists on her hips and puffed her chest in confidence. "Didn't you hear what the metal boy said? We couldn't beat someone like him alone. But if we do this as Night Raid, anything's possible, right everyone?"

The entirety of Night Raid smirked. "Not only do we know about the Jaegers' weapons now thanks to Tatsumi, but we also know what to expect in the inevitable battle against the Great General himself!" Lubbock said as he closed a book of all the recorded Impeiral Arms. "We stand a chance! The only one we need to focus on is Esdeath…"

"We already have a weakness for her, after all." Akame said. Night Raid looked at her with enthusiasm.

She raised her sheathed Murasame. "She's alive. She has a heart. With this sword, I can bring down the terror this corrupt Empire has brought down on its people. We cannot let the people down."

"Don't get too high above your head, Honors Student." Mine smiled as the assassin group's morale increased astoundingly.

"Now, now, everyone!" Leone shouted as she raised her mug of beer. "Let's celebrate the comeback of Tatsumi and our bodyguards!"

Thus the sun went down in high spirits… "Ah, some trespassers again? Better see what they want this time."

000

"This is absurd…" The Prime Minister uttered as he gazed at the massive damage at the Imperial Palace. A few builders were already rebuilding the holes on the walls. Scaffolds essentially decorated the burnt concrete as the builders worked their hardest to patch the walls with a pale blue colored tarp. The Prime Minister's left eye twitched before he turned and stomped his way towards the Emperor's throne room.

"What the hell happened?" He ordered to his personal servant. "Answer me, who the hell is responsible for this?"

"I do not know, sir." The servant responded as he tried to keep up with the Prime Minister's long strides.

"Is there any official report by the Imperial Guards? Their incompetence in upholding the Palace's security is completely baffling."

"None so far, Prime Minister Honest." The servant clenched the documents he held on his chest. "However…there were already rumors…"

"About what?" Honest stopped and looked at the servant with desperation in his eyes. Wrinkles covered the obese man's face. "The reason for this breach of security must be punished for treason with a hellish death. Speak!"

"It's... Budo, sir." At that moment, the wrinkles instantly faded as Honest's jaw dropped.

"That's a lie! That geezer cannot possibly allow this much damage to reach the Imperial Palace's grounds."

"As I said, sir, that is the rumors circulating among the Imperial Guards themselves." Honest winced. "I see. So it's come from his most trusted allies…Still, I must discuss this problem with the Emperor!"

The Prime Minister rushed to the enormous doors leading to the throne room. Several soldiers, with visibly tense forms, decorated the hallway.

"Even his Imperial Guards are lined up." Honest clicked his tongue. "Then the lightning geezer really must be in there. I must hurry. Whatever that Budo is thinking, the emperor cannot decide this by himself."

The Prime Minister hastily pushed through the doors, each of which growled due to their heavily adorned weights.

"Your Highness!"

Honest looked in front as a shining light descended from the ornate stained glass windows by the ceilings just above the throne. In front of the innocent, absolute emperor, the Great General of the Empire kneeled. The Ice commander stood with crossed arms at the bottom of the throne's staircase with a serious expression, while the council of advisers of the Emperor stood on their usual places, except with tense and frightened looks on their faces.

Noticing the door movement, the man stood up, crossed his arms, and looked to the doorway. "I see you're here, Prime Minister Honest."

"Budo…" Honest paused before he fixed his stance and dress to formal standards before gently taking his place beside the Emperor's throne as his main adviser.

"General Esdeath…" He gave a jolly smile towards the youth. "What does Great General Budo desire?"

"He just arrived a few seconds earlier than you, actually. He has merely introduced himself, so you're not too late to the party." Esdeath said as the Minister sighed in relief.

"I wish it isn't something too serious. It's rare for General Budo himself to approach me instead of sending off one of his guards." The Emperor creased his forehead and worriedly held onto his scepter.

' _Just the right timing! I have no clue what he might want, but this would be about_ _ **that**_ _security breach. Fortunately, I'm finally here to teach what His Majesty must say!'_ Prime Minister Honest grinned as he waved his hand to his servants, ordering them to give him food.

"You may continue, Budo." The Emperor said.

Budo closed his eyes and inhaled before looking directly at the Emperor's eyes. "Your Majesty, I am here to report on the… _incident_ that happened the other day. I believe this explanation has taken too much time, so if you please, I would beg your forgiveness."

"You must grant him pardon, Your Highness. It is merely a subject of punctuality, after all." The Prime Minister quickly grabbed onto a chunk of meat and gnawed on the bone like a predator excitedly ravaging through its prey after a hard day's work, except this predator isn't really a hard worker. The Emperor further creased his forehead as he looked at the Prime Minister from the corner of his eye. "I pardon you."

"Thank you. Then I shall proceed to my report. At an estimated time of 8:00 PM, a man of average height with characteristic broad shoulders clad in jade armor pierced several holes through the Imperial Palace's thick walls. This man has blond hair, what seems to be a mechanical body, and eyes of black sclera and glowing golden irises. It would seem that he breached the walls in order to successfully free the man named Saitama, who, as you all know, is a person suspected of illegal possession of Imperial Arms."

"I believe that doesn't seem to be the case." Esdeath said as he faced the General. "I've tried to torture him the other day, and it would seem that that man is certainly not normal, even by Imperial Relic-wielder standards."

' _Although you, yourself, seem to be just as absurdly powerful, General Eseath'_ Honest thought as he took a bite.

"Indeed. I feel that that man is most certainly different. In a bout we had, I noticed that he doesn't have very technical skills. "

"Then that would mean he's an amateur fighter?" Honest, who is quite proud of his limited Martial Arts knowledge, said.

"I would say so. However, he makes up for it with immense power." Budo tensed his form as he released his crossed arms. "Your Majesty, Saitama is certainly a person worth convincing to join the army. If he is part of the Imperial Army itself, I guarantee success against every single war that strikes the capital. The Empire would be truly **invincible**."

Honest chuckled to himself. _'I would say that's a very promising recommendation, especially from the Great General Budo. However, I doubt that this man is any stronger than Esdeath, although she does seem to praise him.'_

"Perhaps you should consider this, my lord." Honest took another bite. Budo's left eye twitched as he swallowed.

"Then, I must move on. I myself fought the man. This man had incredibly fire power released from his body, specifically his palms, back, and elbows. As if his ranged attacks weren't enough, his physical punches had some bite as well. It's as if his very body was made of metal. He has incredible agility and speed, as he had been able to avoid each and every lightning strike I sent both at ground and mid-air. In the end, I was overwhelmed. **I lost.** "

"I see. I think I might have a wonderful explanation to this event." Honest said as he took a bite.

"Pardon?"

Honest stepped forward. "This Saitama might hold two Imperial Arms."

"How can you say so, Prime Minister Honest." Budo lowered his head but his gaze remained at the Minister.

"The explanation is already evidenced by the fact that this man has immense power that rivals a General who, by coincidence, has an Imperial Relic."

Budo remained silent. "Not convinced? Then the next evidence points to the existence of this new person. Perhaps he's a biological, mechanical rather, Imperial Relic? That would explain the fiery palms and immense strength and speed he has. Furthermore, you say he came to _free_ this man alone. It would be suicide to the normal person to do so individually."

"If you wish to make it an official statement of the Empire, then so be it, although that doesn't explain why he didn't get injured from the pressure of using two Imperial Relics." Budo closed his eyes. "It doesn't matter to me at all."

"Then…" Esdeath released a cold, intimidating gaze towards the lightning geezer. "You are aware of the possible consequences of your actions, Budo? This would be treason in and of itself, especially since you were given the task of securing the Imperial Palace from attacks." The Emperor's advisers took a couple of steps back in response to the Ice commander's ice-cold aura.

"Of course I am aware of that. That is one of the main reasons I am in front of you all today." Budo breathed. He removed his long cape, revealing a sword sheathed in its scabbard underneath. One-by-one, he removed his armor that revealed evidence of his impressive fights through the years. Lastly, he removed Adramelech from his forearms and raised them in front of the bewildered audience.

"I no longer deserve to be the Great General of the Empire." After these words, Budo released his gauntlet-like Imperial Arms, allowing them to fall to the ground with a dull metallic sound.

Honest's eyes lit up. _'This is bad. With news of the Great General gone, military morale will plummet. Not only is he an irreplaceable asset of the Empire but he's also a powerful key to keeping the security of the palace in check. I need to guide the Emperor on this matter.'_

"Why, Great General Budo." Honest put on a fake smile. "We all know you've done many things for the Empire, and-"

" **Do not talk**." Budo creased his forehead and gazed at the Prime Minister intimidatingly. Honest stumbled a step backward as his expression is visibly shaken from such a cold order.

"As the Prime Minister of the Empire, I am **not** part of your jurisdiction. Remember that I do not join political affairs because, first and foremost, I am a **soldier** who specializes on the management of armies. Therefore, I generally withdraw myself from political affairs. **Please do not engage in matters beyond your own jurisdiction**." Budo pursed his lips after his _request_ to the Prime Minister, who could not muster the courage to say a word in fear of further worsening the situation.

"The same goes to you, General Esdeath." Budo looked at the Ice-cold general, who nodded. "I would like no other person to intervene unless it is the Emperor himself."

Budo unsheathed his blade from its scabbard and raised it at shoulder level.

"If you plan to have me executed in this throne room, then I will do so myself." The general's eyes dropped to a melancholic expression. "If that punishment is not enough, I will have no qualms in being tortured like all the criminals and rebels."

Budo gazed at the Emperor. "What shall it be, Your Majesty?"

' _Crap, this is not good. Even General Esdeath agreed to not intervene! Then it all rests on the Emperor himself.'_ Honest looked at the emperor, who seemed to have a rather concerned face. _'This doesn't look good…not at all. Everything hinges on the young Emperor's choice.'_.

Honest smirked. _'However, I did raise the Emperor like he was one of my own children. He must have realized what I thought. Hehe. What would your choice be, young Emperor?'_

The Emperor, in deep thought, closed his eyes. His gentle appearance and regal costume made him look like a doll in permanent slumber. All eyes were fixed on him.

"Then I shall decide." The Emperor stood from his throne and raised his scepter towards the Great General.

"For now, I shall have you pardoned from your sins and postpone your torture until after the Rebellion is quelled. Your feats and accomplishments for the Empire are too great for an abrupt end for you."

"Your Majesty!" The general looked with shock.

"We do not have the time to perform high profile executions with the rebellions at hand. We need people like you to exist for us to succeed in the future battles."

The emperor raised his left hand with an open palm towards Budo. "Join me once more as a trusted subordinate, Great General Budo!"

The general sheathed his sword, reattached his armor, and clad himself with his cape before fastening Adramelech to his forearms once more.

"I do not deserve your mercy. I won't let you down, Your Majesty."

000

" ' _What's with this rustling?'_ is what he said, Dr. Stylish." A woman with abnormally large ears said. Her name was Mimi.

"I see him. It seems the bald man who Lady Esdeath tortured really was part of Night Raid. It looks like he is a sentinel of the hideout." Me, a muscular man with large eyes said.

"He smells of fire as well. It's completely similar to the fire that pierced the Imperial Palace. This guy must be an acquaintance of the incinerator." Hana said. He is a man with very dubious clothing preferences.

"I see. Then it's good that I had you all prepped up, Papai." Dr. Stylish said as he looked at the thick foliage. A massive lurking silhouette towered above the Doctor with one glowing eye gazing at him.

"I am all ready now, Doctor."

"I see, then give him hell, Papai Seluriman." Dr. Stylish grinned from ear to ear as the human experiment leaped towards its target.

"If that man is here, then, the living incinerator should be around as well. Miki, will you do the honor?"

"I was reborn for this, Doctor. Your wish is my command" A round man said with a maniacal smile as he went to his respective target.

"it's good…" The doctor said to his three creations. "…that I studied the Great General's report earlier about the attack at the palace. Those two would, indeed, make excellent research material for my future babies~"

"Doctor Stylish" Me scratched his cheek. "Why didn't we bring General Esdeath's Jaegers into the battlefield?"

Mimi nodded. "We don't even have Seryu with us."

"I see you've been thinking of that." Stylish posed with his feet apart and his hand touching the bridge of his glasses. "If we invite the stylish General Esdeath and the gang to our party, we can't have Night Raid for our research. As for Seryu, my bishop, she's been too close to the General, so we have to make do."

Stylish crossed his legs and spread his arms wide while fluttering his white lab gown behind him. "Oh, how beautiful experiments Night Raid would make! The thought simply excites me!" The doctor laughed as he continued his hysteric nonsensical poses.

"That's the perfume to my nose." Hana blushed. "But I would like to ask a question too…"

"Speak up, dear experiment." Stylish raised his arm with the palm facing upwards.

"Why did you bring two strangers, Doctor?"

After these words, the doctor went silent. His hysterical fits also stopped. "Those men…"

The doctor faced the three. "They were on their way to the afterlife after some serious crime they did. I pardoned him, just like you lot."

The three had grateful smiles, as they are reminded of the _goodness_ of the man.

Stylish chuckled. "Don't be like that. There is also another reason." Stylish inhaled as he prepared to say the secret with the two newest members of Team Stylish.

"Those two are nearly insane."

"I-Insane?" Mimi blurted out. "Doesn't that mean they are unsuitable for modification in the first place?"

"Doctor, what do you intend to do to them?" Me, aware of the possible effects of the experiment, said.

"I know that well." Doctor Stylish snarled. "Of course I would. However, I simply cannot comprehend that a single man, who could be wielding two immensely powerful Imperial Arms **and** had just defeated the Great General himself, defeats my army of modified humans. "

The doctor lowered his head and revealed a bitter smile. "I know it's just a theory of the generals, but I'll be damned if it wasn't unfair. Years of research I've done will be defeated by a man who can wield _two_ Imperial Relics at the same time and have **no** repercussions at all? That's just…"

"… **unfair**."

"It's not unfair, Doctor!" The three responded in unison. Mimi spoke next. "Because of your fairness, you gave us a new purpose!"

"That's right!" Me said. "That's only a theory, right? That's not yet proven. Perhaps it's a bluff!"

"Stop trying to butter me up." Stylish smiled. "Besides, even someone like him can be defeated by two of my new Danger Beast serum."

The three stooges smiled genuinely at the thought of being part of a group with such invincible people.

"Now then…" Dr. Stylish raised his hands, placed his left arm forward with his right backhand beneath it. The three henchmen did their own absurd poses. "LET US COMMENCE THE OPERATION"

Behind them, a massive wave of similarly absurdly clad people with blank masks leaped high into the air with the sublime light of the moon shining subtly to the brighten the darkness.

"HAHAHAHAHA" a loud cry broke the silence Saitama got accustomed to.

"Eh? Trespassers again?" He blurted out as he faced the origin of the sound. "Maybe it's a monster. That damn bug got me too far from the base, but I guess I can go to that weird sound faster."

Saitama was about to run towards the origin, but it would seem the origin himself would like to approach him.

" **Take this** " a man with a humongous build, including two monstrous veiny forearms, and a permanently closed eye said as he released a barrage of attacks. A cloud of dust exploded.

000

"I sense numerous high speed targets on their way towards the area." Genos opened his synthetic eyes as he stood up from his and his master's room. He gazed from a nearby window and looked at the surroundings. Genos squinted at the nearby pond.

"Target confirmed." The Cyborg of Justice announced as he leaped from the window and boosted himself to the nearby pond. Hundreds of thousands of droplets formed from his stomp as steam formed due to his body's heat. Genos held in his right hand the throat of a man who had several scars in his exposed torso.

"Who sent you?" Genos said coldly as he raised the man from the ground. He aimed his palm towards the man's face and ignited it.

"You...so you're part of Night Raid, huh?" The man. He had an ensemble of a brown fedora and coat to complement his slasher/serial killer looks. "Goddamn, you're power-"

" **I asked** who sent you." Genos' palm glowed even brighter.

"Chill, man! Chill!" the man, named Trooma, grabbed Genos' forearms in an attempt to break free from the iron grip of the cyborg. "It was Dr. Stylish, a big shot from the Capital mind you!"

"I have no interest if he is a cadre of the Empire or a mad scientist. I need to make him pay for bothering Master Saitama, even if it is his job to guard the base in the first place." Genos said in a monotone manner. "In any case, **I will not let you go away with wasting Master Saitama's precious time he uses for nothing** "

' _This guy doesn't make any sense!'_ Trooma said as he bit his tongue. Afterwards, he smirked. _'However…'_

"Is that all you want, sir?" Trooma asked with pleading eyes.

Knowing the exact number of foot soldiers due to his sensor, Genos released his grasp on the man's neck and deactivated his palm. "That is all. Besides, even if you were too many to count, I believe Master Saitama and me can handle it."

As Genos turned around to decimate his opponents, Trooma's face became carved with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Take this!" With a speed too fast for commoners to achieve, he threw with incredibly accuracy his knives towards the Demon Cyborg's head.

However, Genos is simply too thick-headed.

"What?" Trooma looked in shock as Genos faced the knives head on. The knives practically shattered as they approached his synthetic face. _'Crap'_

"Wait! I'm just a poor guy forced by that scientist to take part in his experiments." Trooma knelt down on all fours. "Please, don't be merciless, good sir!"

Genos slowly walked towards the man's cowering body.

"Gotcha!" Trooma shouted as he did an all-out slash on Genos' body.

"You don't learn, do you?" Genos said as Trooma's triumphant smile vanished. "My blade!"

The blade was shattered clean off its hilt.

"My body has been made to endure the harshest attacks. It would take a demon level monster to damage it." As Trooma faced Genos, an incinerator faced his face.

" **Incinerate** "

000

"Hah, that wasn't so hard" Papai said as he straightened his back. "Maybe General Budo wasn't really _that_ strong to begin with. This guy's a pipsqueak"

Papai walked away from the dust cloud as he was confident of his target's demise.

"You really shouldn't trespass properties, you know?"

Papai looked behind his shoulder. "It seems you're tougher than you look, baldy"

"You shouldn't insult people too, asshole." Saitama said with an irritated expression. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Why, we're going to take down Night Raid, of course." Papai faced the caped baldy with a puffed out chest. "You Night Raid shitheads think you're so strong and powerful; I'll show you what true power is-"

"Hold up." Saitama raised his hand. "I'm not part of Night Raid. I work for them, though." He said adamantly, although the second sentence was in an undertone.

"Heh, 'work for them'? That doesn't excuse you from getting punished." Papai grinned. "You better be happy I was holding back, or you'd be paste right now!"

"Then come at me." Saitama said in a monotone, sending Papai aback. "What did you just say?"

"I said come at me. Go all out."

Papai looked at Saitama with a surprised expression before breaking into a chuckle. "Why aren't you the confident jackass?"

Papai's eyes shot to the nearest tree. He dashed towards that particularly large tree and, branch by branch, twig by twig, ate it.

After the _performance_ , he flexed his muscles, ripping the clothes off of his upper torso. His forearms grew even larger and more muscular. Papai grit his teeth and showed his increased strength by a punch to a thick tree, which halved it. His eyes became bloodshot while his pupils disappeared.

"Can you handle this, baldy?" Papai laughed maniacally as he stomped, which made the ground below crack. "Do you still want me to go all out?"

"By all means." An unamused Saitama said.

000

An explosion broke through a certain room in the Night Raid base. The room, wherein a certain pink-haired girl slept in a disorderly fashion with drool slowly making its way from the edge of her mouth to her chin, got covered in dust in an instant. The girl, as the natural assassin she is, instantly awoke from her slumber, prepared her Pumpkin, and aimed at the hole in her wall.

"Who the hell goes there" She said as she powered up her Pumpkin.

"Oh, I'm back at the base." The man, concealed in the dust suspended in midair, said in a monotone voice.

"Wait…that voice is…" Mine lowered her gun.

"Yep." The dust began to settle, revealing a bald face embedded on her brick wall. Saitama's dirtied was there with a dorky smile. "It's me."

Saitama pulled his face away from the wall. His face was pale white due to the type of stone the building he crashed to.

Mine opened her window and leaned on the window frame to look at the baldy, who dug his fingers to the building so he wouldn't fall. "What the hell is going on?"

"Oh, that's right." Saitama pouted with a blank face as he looked to the distance. "I guess there are a few trespassers?"

"Mine!" Akame kicked the door open. "We're being invaded-"

"You don't call a full scale infiltration _a few trespassers,_ jackass!" Mine shouted as she leaned forward.

"Mine, what are you doing?" Akame said as she walked to the windows.

"Our security guard here is slacking off, Akame" Mine said as she pointed to Saitama with her left thumb. Akame proceeded to the window frames and leaned to see the baldy.

"Sup" Saitama said casually.

"Don't just 'Sup' us, baldy!" Mine grit her teeth as she noticed a few footmen running towards the base, only to be greeted by inferno from the sides. "At least the tin man is doing something"

"Oh, Genos is awake?" Saitama said with a smile. "Then this should be easier with his cannons."

"Never mind Genos, what are **you** doing?"

"That's right. I was fighting someone, too. Hold on a sec."

"What do you mean by-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Saitama leaped towards the area where Papai was.

"Damn Baldy. He could have told us sooner." Mine said as she placed her eyepiece and aimed at the foot soldiers.

"How many have entered, Akame?"

"There were a handful of soldiers who were after Lubbock. I defeated them, including one that seems to be a cadre."

"I see." Mine gazed over the battle field and saw Tatsumi. "Oh, so the rookie's awake as well…wait"

She took another, more meticulous look at the battle scene. "That's…"

"Mine?" Akame tapped her shoulder. Akame looked at Mine's face, which expressed surprise and…nostalgia.

"Sheele" Mine mouthed as she leaped forward into the battlefield.

000

"The number of perverts has increased." Genos said before blasting a battalion of soldiers. "But it would seem they are fodder."

As Genos proceeded to incinerate the soldiers, a black silhouette stood out from the fires.

"It would seem **you** are my target."

The dark silhouette ignored the heat and prepared to punch Genos.

"Take this!" he said as he punched. Genos dodged the punch by a hair's breadth. As he stopped his attack, the shadow began to take a clearer form. A fat man with bronzed skin, rug-like trousers, and a single long chord of braided hair stood in front with his fist in front.

"You're fast." The man said as he squinted.

Genos activated his boosters by his elbows and punched with full force towards the man's right cheek. The blow forced the man to take a step backwards.

"You…" Genos' eyes widened as he looked at the barely scathed man.

"That hurt" the man said as he touched his cheek. "But I bet that was one of your sure-kill attacks as well"

"Are you…human?" Genos said as he took an air of caution.

"Oh, so you were surprised." The man chuckled. "Before that, my name is Miki. Doctor Stylish modified my body to take **you** on, specifically. I can absorb any shockwave and amount of heat you give me, so your usual attacks are useless-"

"Thanks for the information. **Incinerate**." Genos said as he raised his palm and sent a beam of fire towards the target. Genos stopped his attack and looked at the remains of the person.

"Are you done yet?" Miki said as he stood confidently with his forearms crossed in front of his chest.

"I see that wasn't a bluff." Genos said as he lowered his palms. He clenched his fists as he activated his boosters behind him and accelerated towards him.

" **Machine Gun Blows** " Genos shouted as he released a barrage of attacks that shockwaves enough to crack the ground and bend the trees around them.

"Take this!" Miki shouted as he delivered a kicked Genos' left torso, dragging the cyborg to a nearby tree. Genos jumped and landed on the trunk of the tree.

He activated his left incineration cannon and sent himself towards Miki.

" **Boost Attack** "

A solid boot collided with the man's right cheek, although it didn't have an effect. "Bastard!"

Miki retracted his fist down and performed an uppercut, which sent Genos flying.

" **Rocket Stomp** " Genos said as the boosters in his shoulders drove him downwards. Miki reacted with a forearm block. Genos' attack struck the man, but because of his absorption, nothing happened.

Genos leaped backwards as he remained composed. The man revealed a wide grin as he lowered his guard. "Have you had enough, bastard?"

"I see you're a tough nut to crack." Genos said as he glanced towards the base. "It's annoying, but it'll have to do."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you try everything in your arsenal already?" Miki laughed as he hysterically waved his arms to accompany his words. "Is that the best you've got, or do you have something else in store?"

Genos didn't respond. He merely stared at the man. Veins popped in Miki's forehead as his forehead creased in irritation.

"So you think you're playing a fool out of me, eh?" Miki clicked as he looked down at the ground.

His eyes shot to Genos as he released a barrage of punches that were so powerful that each blow consequently pulverized what it touched, be it stone or tree. A surprised Genos began skipping backwards with his jade-armored forearms as shields from the immense attacks of the human experiment.

"Do you see this, fucker? **This** is what normal humans are lacking. **This** is the newest evolution of man!" Miki shouted as he began sidestepping with astounding speed while jabbing in order to maximize the angles and range of his attacks.

"Normal humans' strength output is inhibited simply because their muscles don't want to damage themselves due to the power they withdraw. However, Dr. Stylish's extreme serum can allow my body to not only reduce that stress, but increase my abilities as well! As a result, I'm not only more durable and stronger, but faster as well!"

Miki dashed and delivered a mid-section kick, which was narrowly avoided by the Demon Cyborg. Genos increased the distance between them.

"What's this?" Genos said as he landed on a stone decoration. Genos looked around to see the building hidden at the side of the mountain. "I see. I'm back at the base."

"Genos?" the green haired assassin said to the cyborg. "Damn am I glad to see you." I thought you were de-"

" **Well well well** " Miki said as he struck Genos with a punch to the side, which the cyborg parried with a cross-arm block. The impact dragged Genos' feet through the ground, creating a trail of furrowed gravel.

"Thanks for bringing me to our targets, dumbass!" Miki shouted as he looked at Lubbock.

"Crap…" Lubbock said as he took a step back. A gust of wind sent his hair aflutter as a girl with jet black hair obstructed his view of the monstrous man.

"Things are getting out of hand." Akame stood her ground as she prepared to unsheathe Murasame.

"The infamous one-cut killer, Akame and her sword, Murasame, dare oppose me? At this state?" Miki's grin grew from ear to ear as Akame's body tensed.

It was as if it was a scene from a manga. A heavily muscular man with a smile filled with murderous intent stood on end of a moonlit scene while a slender young woman with a Japanese katana took her stance. One by one, the leaves fell to symbolize the tranquility before a battle between two warriors, with only one emerging victorious. However, it would seem the two were not fated to battle _each other_.

"Move!" a voice said, prompting Akame to leap backwards. A powerful blast of fire engulfed the powerful man, leaving a smoldering environment behind.

"Someone of your type cannot possibly defeat this man." Genos said with his palms still smoking from his most recent attack. "Let me handle this."

"I don't know what you mean by _type_ " Akame released her grip on Murasame's handle. "However, I will leave them to you, Genos. We will be regrouping, so defeat him soon. Let's go, Lubbock!"

"Who the hell said you can go do what you want?" Miki leaped from his position towards the two assassins. Genos immediately activated his boosters and accelerated in front of the man.

" **Lightning Eye** "

A bright light consumed Miki's vision, prompting him blind. Genos shot his lower arm to grip Miki by the neck.

" **Accelerate** "

Genos, with immense speed, spun around the man, instantly restraining the criminal.

"Bastard, you really think you can defeat me by just tying me up?" Miki, who was still blind, fidgeted in an attempt to loosen the chords. "My body will simply absorb the force around me. You can't kill me that easily."

"Perhaps that is true." Genos said as his upper arm screeched. "However, that doesn't mean I will kill you through pressure and strength alone. **Machine Gun Blow** "

Genos released a barrage of punches to the ground.

"W-what?" Miki, who had expected the attack would be on his body, tried holding his balance to no avail. The punches and the shockwaves were so strong that the ground was completely cracked to chunks within a certain radius.

Genos boosted towards Miki and delivered a punch to his face. Naturally, his body absorbed the shockwave. However, due to his loss of balance, Genos essentially pushed the body to a nearby pond.

" **High Voltage Fist** "

Genos rushed towards the sinking body and delivered an electric punch towards the criminal. The amount of energy was so high that the waters within the pond were illuminated by the electrical sparks from the attack. Miki, who remained underwater, had his eyes rolled upward from the pain, therefore revealing his sclera.

Genos stopped the electric charge from his fist as smoke erupted not only from his arms but also from the pond. The criminal sank to the bottom of the pond, defeated.

"I really hate using such underhanded techniques because it means I cannot defeat you with overwhelming power. That is the way Master Saitama fights. However, if it means I can defeat you _at all_ , then the ends justify the means. It's irritating, is all"

As Genos looked at the defeated man, a shadow began growing on the disturbed waters.

"This is…" Genos leaped backwards as a fairly large, muscular body fell directly on Miki.

The body had disproportionately large forearms with what seemed like veins that looked like anchors on the skin.

"This body must be one of the soldiers they sent. With his appearance, he looks quite powerful" Genos smirked. "However, it seemed that he had met Master himself, which is unfortunate. Not even Night Raid's members can send someone this big flying. I must meet up with him quickly."

000

"Crap, even Papai Seluriman is down." Mimi said as she held her _massive_ ear. "That baldy is seriously strong."

"He even sent him a few meters in the air! Strong is an understatement." Me shouted as he used his hand as a visor when looking at the caped baldy. "I couldn't see what he did, because the glare from his head is just _bad_ for my eyes, too. This guy is an enigma."

"Maybe my serums didn't work?" Stylish said as he bit his nail. "Damn that baldy."

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" a nearby voice said.

"That voice! It's-"The three criminals immediately took fighting stances as the hero approached.

"It's rude to talk about other people behind their backs, you know." A baldy approached while paving the foliage away from his path. "So you're the whispers I kept hearing in the dark. I'm gonna punch your heads in"

" _This guy can hear that well in the dark? Just who is he?_ _ **"**_ Mimi thought before

"Speak of the devil, eh?" Dr. Stylish leaped backwards and landed with his toes elegantly landing on the forest floor.

"Don't worry, Doctor! We're going to protect you." Me maintained his fighting stance while glaring at the hero.

"Stand down, Night Raid. If we fight with all our might, I'm sure we can tear even you apart!" Hana shouted to the baldy, who had his signature blank expression. After a brief staredown, a silhouette blocked the shining moonlight from above. A heavy figure crashed down with both smoking hot palms on the cracked ground beneath.

"I've finally caught up with you, Master." The cyborg said as he raised his face and scowled at the four trespassers. "I will be your opponent."

"N-no way!" Mimi lost her composure as he looked at Genos. "This guy is the man who defeated Miki!"

"You mean, he's the one who electrocuted him at the pond?" Me said as his eyes squinted in anger.

"Indeed. I have overlooked the possibility of electrocution and drowning as a method of his death. You are quite the experience warrior, even though you are an Imperial Arm" The mad scientist looked meticulously at Genos' metal body. He was overwhelmingly interested.

Genos raised his palms towards the scientist and his experiments, before Dr. Stylish raised his left hand with his palm facing Genos, elevated his right leg to form exactly a 45 degree angle behind his knee, placed his fingertips on his slightly bent head, and topped the ensemble with a wink.

"Impossible!" Hana shouted as he blushed wildly. "That's-"

" _The Perfect Form_." The three shouted in unison in their minds. This was the legendary form that, as Dr. Stylish himself said, the summative effect of the Imperial Relic Perfector taking its toll on the human body. They remembered the description the beloved doctor gave years ago.

" _Because the human body is said to be one of the most powerful figures in existence, the gods separated its perfection and sealed it within Perfector. However, with The Perfect Form, the seal is completely rendered void, unleashing the power of its user's body beyond the limit. However-"_

"No, Doctor" Me shouted with bullets of tears streaming his face. "If your body isn't in the proper condition, your body will deteriorate and your lifespan will be cut sharply!"

"You should know that I am perfectly aware of that." Doctor Stylish said with a melancholic smile. "In order to protect you, I need to do this."

"Doctor…"

The doctor kept his stance upright, while Genos prepared for the worst. Amidst the tense situation, an unimpressed Saitama used his finger to scoop off the dirt that had entered his nose after defeating the titanic Papai Seluriman.

"Goodbye…Night Raid!"

A green mist sprayed from the most unpredictable place in an instant.

"His arm pits?" Genos expressed surprise as the gas began to consume him and his master. "I got duped!"

"Did you like _that_?" The mad scientist's smile grew from ear to ear. His eyes turned maniacal like the great Seryu Ubiquitous. "I overestimated you. You're _too damn naïve_."

"What happened, doctor?" Hana asked.

"I released a certain gas that can completely paralyze a human being but leave no ill effects on the body. It also acts in an instant, but since I already administered the vaccine to your bloodstream, feel free to breathe to your heart's content." Stylish smiled at Hana, who blushed himself. "It's…odorless, too? As expected from Dr. Stylish, the greatest and most considerate Scientist in the empire!"

"But I thought that was _The Perfect Pose_ , Dr. Stylish!" Mimi said.

" _The Perfect Pose_ is a tier higher than that, my dear Mimi." The mad scientist said, although deep in his thoughts, he knew that that was a simple lie to increase morale. "If I have to battle, I need to lower my strength so as not to kill the test subject"

A beam of energy tore the fog, revealing the baldy and the demon cyborg standing upright.

"I'm sorry, but we have long since abandoned humanity." Genos said with piercing golden eyes.

"I'm still human though." Saitama said.

"Yes, but you are the only exception, Master Saitama."

As the two had a conversation, the four can only watch. "How…"

"Oh, I had forgotten that you were there" Genos turned to Stylish. "My robotic body may be replicating human processes, but they are simply for my convenience, therefore poison and venom cannot affect me. On the other hand…"

Genos looked at Saitama, who began drawing his breath twice. He sneezed normally, leaving a trail of mucous out his nose and a tear from his eyes. "Damn, that much dust is bad. Good thing you cleared it, Genos."

The three cringed at the seemingly hopeless situation they found themselves in. However, the mad scientist laughed like how a mad man should.

"I thought someone as powerful as you two would be powerful enough to defeat two doped experiments. However, are you powerful enough to protect your comrades?"

Genos' eyes shot up and were directed towards Night Raid. "Night Raid is down?"

Stylish smiled. "Of course, they are. You two may be more than human. You may even be inhuman. However, the main group is vulnerable enough to fall due to my poison. Will you fight, or will you save them?"

"Oh, I'll save them." Saitama said as his afterimage began to disintegrate into thin air while his true body trailed towards the team.

" _Impossible!"_ Stylish thought as his hair began to stray out of its position. " _No man is fast enough to do something like that. Does he really intend to save them at such distance?_ "

Saitama, using only the power of his toes, dashed rapidly towards the team of downed assassins. However, before he could reach them, a rather large silhouette passed above him, causing him to slow down until he came to a complete halt.

"Oh, I guess they can take care of it."

Former General Najenda, along with two hooded figures, knelt down on a massive danger beast called an Air Manta, which, as the name suggests, looked like a Manta Ray suspended in mid-air.

"We came just in time." Najenda smirked. "Susanoo, give them hell."

"Roger that, master." The taller figure said as it leaped from the danger beast and, after increasing his speed, landed on one of the Doctor's experiments, essentially crushing his bones and flesh in the process. The man is revealed to be a tall man with a goatee and characteristic horns attached to his skull. He was clad with modified Edo-period white clothes. He threw his arm to the right, revealing a staff with a rotating mechanism with several blades on one end.

With a step, he plunged his staff forward and sent several henchmen tattered and torn. Five soldiers jumped in order to surprise attack the man, but they were all severely dismissed by a sway of the attentive warrior. Within mere minutes of his appearance, the battlefield was already littered with battered corpses.

"It seems your plan has failed even without Master Saitama's intervention." Genos said as he blocked the direction of the four who tried to escape in the confusion.

"Things are getting out of hand." Stylish said as he took a switch from his pocket. "But it's still useless for you."

He clicked the switch, which instantly detonated the bodies of the fallen infantry. Susanoo, who was caught in the range of the explosion, was burned and torn apart.

"Woah, this is a blood bath, ain't it?" Saitama raised his brow as he looked at the carnage around him with indifference. "After all I did to try beat some sense to them, too."

He looked around and saw a nearby stump of a body sitting upright nearby.

"This guy's got it bad, too." As he said these words, chunks of flesh began floating around him.

"This is…psychic power?" A startled Saitama looked at the phenomenon.

"No, Saitama." Akame said as she began to comprehend the pattern. The levitating flesh clumped together at the torn parts of the man. Eventually, the man's body was complete.

"It's a biological Imperial Relic!" Stylish frantically shouted. "To think they actually had one like that."

"There they are." Najenda said as she used her binoculars to look at the invaders. "Susanoo, they're at the Southwest. Crush them."

Susanoo nodded silently as he rushed towards the area his master looked at.

Me shouted as he ran towards Demon Cyborg at full speed.

"It's useless." Genos punched the muscular man with a small punch, sending him two meters away. "You're already surrounded. When will you give up?"

A strong gust of wind completely toppled the three remaining members of Team Stylish. "Damn, the only way I can defeat a biological imperial arm is to break its core. With my current strength, it's impossible"

The three stooges surrounded Dr. Stylish and assumed their fighting stances once more.

"It's not over yet, Dr. Stylish." Mimi said. "We'll definitely break through, even if it kills us."

"Yes, we will save our Doctor!" Hana said with confidence, although his tears say otherwise.

"Dr. Stylish…" Me wiped the blood off his chin. "I will try and hold them off. You should run. We need to save you."

" _These people…even if they're surrounded by overwhelming opponents, they still risk their lives? Even to such evil? I could have ended up like them if the doctor of Justice Dr. Stench was evil."_ Genos prepared to wipe them all quickly with a blast.

" _They don't stand a chance."_ Dr. Stylish thought as he pinched his chin. " _They're good for reconnaissance missions; however, combat is their weak point. There's no way I can get out of here alive…_ _ **unless**_ _."_

The doctor took a syringe filled with a mysterious serum and stabbed his brachial artery. "Let's have a dose of **Danger Beast** in the fight, shall we?"

Immediately after injecting the serum, a massive lump appeared at Dr. Stylish's back. The lump continued growing meters by the second. In the end, he was already the size of a mountain.

"What the hell!" Tatsumi shouted as he looked at the being. It was a tall, incredibly muscular figure with a robotic arm that reaches from up to half of its adult face to the entirety of his abs. Indeed, it was a full blown monster.

"Doctor…Stylish?" Hana said as he looked above him. A giant foot immediately landed, crushing the human experiment to juice.

"Hana!" Me said as he took Mimi and escaped to the forests. The powerful and memorably maniacal laugh of the doctor echoed through the trunks of the forest.

"How beautiful this world is!" Dr. Stylish, whose hair had turned white and lower body attached to the monster's head, said with bliss. "After studying the sudden increase of chaotic and effective mutations within the Empire alone, I risked my own body to see if I could fully grow a monster to this extent. After the failures with Papai and Miki, I was the one who succeeded! In the end, the strong survive!"

"He's enormous, which makes him an easier target." Genos aimed his cannons to the flesh part of the monster. "He may be demon to dragon level. **Incinerate** "

Genos cannons roared as the beam of fire made its way towards the monster.

Stylish blocked the pillar of flame and struck Genos at the same time with a steel fist.

"That won't work anymore, Night Raid" Stylish's attack was successful. Genos, with a cross arm block, managed to block the attack, but the collision dragged his feet 50 meters away. "It's a dragon level."

Stylish gazed to his right and saw Akame carried by Incursio in the style of Piggy back.

"That won't end well" Stylish sent his steel arm once more to crush the duo with the steel grip. However, Susanoo rushed towards his cheek and delivered a straight punch, sending him away.

"You've still got some power in you, Biological Imperial Relic?" Susanoo leaped once more to destroy Stylish's main body.

" _You think I'm an idiot, Night Raid?_ "

With a single backhand, the monster swatted Susanoo two kilometers away.

"Crap, he became more powerful." Najenda said as she helped Mine position herself and aim the gun blade at the head. A beam of energy shot through Pumpkin with a squeeze of the trigger.

"Oh, you're having fun flying there, Najenda and you pink-haired girl?"

He smiled as he intercepted the beam with the metal hand, easily blocking it.

"You won't win easily. It's only been a 5 minutes, but I'm already seeing how weak you are. It's over, Night-"

A powerful punch ripped a hole through the monster's body. "W-w-w-what the fuck?"

The monster's body became limp, leaving only Stylish's upper body active. "What's going on? It was all going so well. WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

A smaller being fell on top of the dead monster's corpse. "Congratulations, Dr. Stylish. It seems your serum worked!" a voice, which sounded as if two people were talking in unison, said gleefully.

Stylish's eyes widened. "That voice…it's-"

"It's meeee, Pa̛͠p̴͠a̸̛iM͜i̴̴̡͟k̢̀i̵"

The monster had four arms and legs. The arms were incredibly muscular, with two abnormally large forearms out of the four. It also had four legs, four eyes (with one permanently closed), four ears, two noses placed vertically atop each other, one long braid of jet black hair, and a massive smile with two layers of sharp, protruding teeth.

"Aren't I the most stylish, Doctor?"

"No…" Stylish tried his best to bend his body and look at his creation. "I see…so **this** is the risk of using the serum on the borderline insane…"

"Dr. Stylish!" he heard a whisper. "Mimi?"

"Are you alright, Doctor?" Mimi said, with unsure hands.

"I'm fine. I need to get out of here. I believe I can escape this danger beast body by ripping myself out. However…I cannot move with these arms restrained. Help me"

"Hana was…" Mimi lowered her head. "Hana was killed, you know?!"

"I know, but now is not the time! Help me!"

"Do you even care about what just happened to him? What happens to us?" She gradually shouted as her eyes began to moisten. Mimi covered her mouth as she had realized what kind of person he was to begin with.

"I…I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that we are no more than livestock to you, since we're prisoners…" She turned around. "But…"

" _I thought we were at least more valuable to you other than your slaves_ "

"Damn, what the hell's happened with that girl…" Stylish sneered as the large-eared girl hastily ran.

"Dr. Stylish, I'm here." Me said as he approached. "Mimi got shaken by Hana's death under…your foot."

"I know, I know. Just cut a chunk off the head and bring me back to the laboratory. I need to research about the serum. If this… _monsterification_ is successful, it will be the highlight of my career! It'll be-"

"Oh, there's the trespasser." The blank voice said.

"Shit, he's here!" Stylish shouted as he raised his head. Saitama stood in an indifferent manner still. He desperately tried moving. However, in the end, his body is simply connected to the monstrous head. He had no choice other than to let his upper body hang from the head.

"It's over. I'm dead. Me couldn't stop you, no matter what. I'm stuck with this horrid creation of mine. I've got this head filled with ideas on new experiments…but it's gone. You won't let it all escape, will you?"

Saitama pinched his chin and assessed the situation. "I guess someone already beat you though. Oh well."

Saitama jumped from his position, startling Me and the Doctor. He landed on the back of the monster's head and delivered a small chop, essentially detaching the mad scientist from his creation.

"W-wait" Stylish once again twisted what's left of his waist in an attempt to see the baldy. Me helped him turn. "You're not going to kill me? Aren't you part of Night Raid, **the** assassin group feared by the empire itself?"

"Who said so?" Saitama responded. Dr. Stylish was taken aback. "I work for them as a security guard, and sometimes as a body guard. I guess I'm their house mate, too. However, I'm not part of their group."

Stylish clicked his tongue. "You tell me all that, and you still say you aren't part of this? Just what are you planning?"

"I told you, you're already defeated. Just get out of here and never do any bad things again. I don't really care what you do afterwards."

"This man…seems genuinely nice." Me said as he stepped forward. "Are you sure you'll allow us to leave without repercussions at all?"

"I'm a hero for fun, not a killer. Go and don't bother anyone again, okay?" Stylish looked at the man with his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Yes sir!" Me shouted as he took what's left of Stylish's true body and ran to the opposite direction.

"Now then…" Saitama turned and looked at what chaotic situation that had unfolded. "I guess I'm late to the action again. Dammit, when will this end?"

000

Susanoo's several wounds healed themselves in an instant, but it would seem the biological Imperial Relic was already breathing heavily.

"What's with this guy?" Tatsumi grit his teeth as he saw the monster standing his ground against Genos and Susanoo. "There's no way he's a normal danger beast. Despite his small size, he's Super Class!"

"This man isn't any ordinary monster anymore. He's a dragon level threat, beyond what I'm capable of right now." Genos looked at his limbs, which were in fair condition. "If it weren't for the armor I've crafted with the unknown metal, I could have been defeated several times already. This man is no joke."

"Yeah, his multiple eyes are fast enough to keep track of not only Akame and me, but you and the new guy. You, Susanoo, and Mine's pumpkin's power doesn't even scratch him!" Tatsumi said before leaping away from a boulder thrown by him.

"That is the power Dr. Stylish had administered to him previously. He must have fused with the being Master just defeated. " Genos said before accelerating towards him.

"No you don't!" Papaimiki shouted as he tried to deliver a punch. However, Genos used his rocket arm's cable to ultimately subdue the monster.

"I already know your tricks, bastard!" the monster said as he used three of his arms to punch Genos' head, sending him crashing through a nearby tree. The monster tore the cable and threw the arm away. "You think you're some hot shot after defeating Miki just once?"

"Tch" Genos rose from the ground as he held the stump on his arm. "Then I must give a last attack…"

Genos charged his cannon and aimed the incinerator at the monster Papaimiki, who simply smiled.

" **Incinerate** "

The fire engulfed everything in his direction. The trees and the ground smoldered to ash and charcoal as flaming sparks floated throughout the burnt area. Indeed, this was the power of the Demon Cyborg.

And it wasn't enough.

A hand grasped Genos head as the monster stepped on the broken tree trunk. A triumphant smile carved on his face. "I told you, didn't I? I **absorb** heat, no matter the amount. Die."

"A monster? Genos, you're in pieces again." Saitama said with a crumpled forehead. "You sure you'll be able to fix yourself up?"

"This man!" The monster threw Genos, who was caught by Susanoo, and jumped towards Saitama. His layered teeth showed once more along with his Cheshire grin.

"Back for Round 2, Baldy?" The monster towered over Saitama.

"Do you think I'll let you live now? Last time was a fluke, this time I'll win."

"What are you talking about? Do I know you?"

"Hahaha, it seems you don't see any remnants of myself from a while ago." The monster slammed his first right fist over his chest. "I am the man you defeated a while ago. Papai Seluriman! However, thanks to Dr. Stylish's serum, I fused with Miki and became Papaimiki! This time I won't let you escape. I'll break every bone in your body and grind your teeth until their powder. I'll make you scream so hard you'll bawl your eyes out while groaning in pain. I will-"

"Are you done yet? Hurry up, I'm sleepy." Saitama cleared his right ear of ear wax. Nerves popped on Papaimiki's temples as his forehead creased severely due to his anger. He looked at the corpse of the monster body of the mad scientist and leaped towards it. He delivered a barrage of punches to the monster's lower half and proceeded to eat it in 10 seconds. He swallowed and grew to the size of a hill.

He covered the brightness of the moon and looked down at the Caped Baldy.

"I'm going to **kill** you. **Die**."

The monster sent forth a fist which has a shockwave strong enough to crack the ground of the entire battlefield. Miki's exponentially increased absorbing ability meant that he could now absorb the recoil of such a large punch. Indeed, the monster is dragon level.

But this is Saitama.

" **Consecutive Normal Punches** "

With only his right hand, Saitama delivered a barrage of 15 punches at the monster's fist. The monster's blissful expression turned to that of horror when he realized that the punches' shockwaves were so strong that his fist turned to a red juice void of any chunks. The transformation climbed up to his head, ending his life before he could even make a reaction.

Saitama held his fist in front once more before he looked at it. "I kind of had my hopes up. Dammit"

By the end of the night, the poison had left their nervous systems. Their headquarters were found out, so they had to move.

000

 **Author's note: Holy shit I fucked up big time with the mistakes. Well, it is a hobby, but still sorry. If you still find some mistakes, please inform me so I can clean it up. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Out with the old, In with the new

"General Budo!" A soldier uttered with a salute as he approached. A hooded figure silently followed him like a shadow in the darkness.

"What is it?" Budo, whose trained eyes could pierce even the pitch black night, noticed the small shadowy figure following his foot soldier.

"This man would like to speak to you" he said as he stepped to the side to introduce the figure.

The great general turned around and walked to a nearby steel combat dummy. He released one punch to a peg, which triggered the mechanism to retaliate with a peg from a blind spot. Budo parried with a punch with all his strength, and thus it would seem he was practicing his barrage of high-speed punches.

"Is this a matter of battle?" the general continued his onslaught.

The soldier responded. "No, sir. However, this man is-"

The general released a punch to the dummy's middle portion, sending it away in pieces. "Haven't I made it clear that I am not to be disturbed unless the subject matter involves battle?" The man, with fists still smoking from his attacks, took heavy walks towards the soldier. "I would be fooling myself if I said I wasn't humiliated by my last defeat. That event practically dishonored my entire lineage. However, the good Emperor has given me time to at least get stronger to protect the Empire before my execution."

The soldier could only stare at what had just happened. Half of the Empire's strongest duo is revealing an emotion that would have never been discovered without literally and figuratively prying open the door to his training area. Of course, foot soldiers would never want to betray their general's trust and risk their lives by opening such a door. Indeed, it would be suicide.

"As I await my inevitable demise, I could only redeem myself by becoming stronger for the sake of the Empire. It's infuriating to think that there are now people in this world like him. Someone whose strength seems so overwhelming, you'd think it unfair."

The cloaked person tapped the soldier's back. The man motioned him to stop responding, which he did.

The man stepped forth and raised his head to look at Budo's eyes, which widened due to surprise. "Then don't you think we should go confront him, General Budo?"

The man held the edges of his hood and pulled it, revealing smooth green hair and a young face to complement the man's fragile and small frame. General Budo immediately fell down on his knees and bowed his head as an act of both formality and gratefulness. "Your Highness…"

The Emperor grew turbulent as he tried to raise Budo's well-trained body to no avail. "Stand up!" He finally ordered.

"Why did you enter these grounds, Emperor? The Night is already this late. You deserve that slumber to gain energy for your next decisions-"

"I know that already." The Emperor said as he scratched his cheek. "It's just that this is a time when I can surely decide for myself."

"What do you mean…Your Highness?" The Emperor sighed as he preserved an air of seriousness.

"First off, starting from now on, once I am clad in normal clothing, you will not do anything to honor me, alright? That involves bowing, kneeling, and calling me _Your Highness_ , and that's effective immediately. That is for you too, foot soldier!" the man pointed to himself for confirmation. The Emperor nodded.

"Okay." Budo relaxed his muscles, but he couldn't do it fully since his honor for the Emperor is simply ingrained to his character. "Then what should I call you?"

The Emperor pinched his chin as he thought deeply for a pseudonym. "I guess Otho would suffice."

"I see. Then, _Otho,_ why are we doing this?"

Otho walked to the damaged part of the training area. The massive hole breached by a certain demon cyborg was still being filled up and fixed. "Do you remember when you introduced the council of advisers, General Esdeath, and me to this Saitama?"

"Yes, Your Hi-…Otho." Budo's slip of tongue went noticed by the Emperor. However, Budo's immense willpower maintained the seriousness of his face. "I am sorry for inadvertently bringing a rather offensive man to your presence. However, I truly thought he could be part of the Empire's forces."

"I see. Well, the reason you're still alive right now is that I am assigning a task to you that is related to him."

"What could that be?" Budo swallowed. If the Emperor would ask him to hunt Saitama down and kill him, then he'd be dead in either case. It had a 100% rate of failure and it would end up with either Saitama easily splattering him to the walls or the Emperor ordering his disembowelment. Such was the effect of his near death experience against the Demon Cyborg. **His confidence as a General of the Empire had hit rock bottom**.

"I want you to find Saitama…"

' _So it was the former…haha, it's befitting for a General to die in battle anyway'_

"…and lead me to him!"

General Budo's eyes shot towards the Emperor. "Your Highness, that plan is reckless! We cannot have you meet such a dangerous man. If the Emperor of this Empire is killed, it's all over-"

"Didn't I tell you to call me Otho?" the Emperor pouted. "I will have to make your punishment even worse if you keep crossing me."

"But, Otho…" Budo recoiled as he thought of bringing sense to the child's decision. "You must rethink this…"

"I'm not going to change my mind. I'm going to meet up with Saitama, and you will be my spy and guardian in the ordeal." The Emperor said firmly with his chest puffed, as if assuming authority.

"But…I do not understand…" Budo trembled at the possible fall of the Empire due to the Emperor's rashness. "Are you, perchance, wanting to take revenge on Saitama for his comment on your status as the Emperor?"

"Yes." The Emperor walked to a nearby bench and rested. "It might seem a bit naïve for me to do so, but I truly want revenge on this man."

"In my honest opinion, Otho, you will fail." Budo said boldly to the Emperor. Otho kept silent. "I have made countless remarks about Saitama. Again, he is well **beyond** anything or anyone the Empire has ever seen. Esdeath and I, the strongest duo, cannot even faze him with our attacks. I have experienced him punching through a Super class Danger Beast with the same deadpan manner as one would have when bored. We are nowhere near his level, even if that warmonger Esdeath says otherwise."

"I am perfectly aware of that." Otho nodded. "However, I do not speak of such an unproductive revenge as violence. Instead, I want to show him how even someone as young as me can be the strongest leader."

The Emperor stood from his seat and displayed an aura of confidence. "In one way or another, I will use my skills to convince him to join the Empire. No matter how physically strong and fast he is, he is still beneath me. I swear it to the First Emperor's name."

000

A stream of water silently flowed down a slightly steep slope. The afternoon sun painted the forest canvas with a tinge of red and orange. Although the light of day still reigns supreme, it seems the dark sacred night is already staking its claim. A gust of wind swayed the leaves of the trees as a Borhino, a special class danger beast, dashed through the forests. Every tree trunk it bumped into completely bent or broke. As it traversed its territory, a tall humanoid with a staff-like weapon leaped from tree to tree above the monster. On the side, a cyborg sped through the forest with the boosters on his arms while trailing the beast. The apex predator has been marked as prey.

Susanoo leaped from a tree trunk to another in front of the Borhino, which did not give in to the two warriors' spirits. Susanoo, using all his leg strength, leaped to the Borhino's head.

"I will show you the power of the Wolf Fang Mace" he said as he raised the blunt part of the staff towards the Borhino's head. He twisted it quickly to form a helix-like air shield in front, which allowed him to speed up mid-air. The head of the Borhino and the staff's blunt end connected. The impact made the forest grounds vibrate.

"Nice job, Susanoo!" Genos said as he pulled back his right elbow and activated his elbow booster. He sent his lower right arm flying underneath the Borhino's belly. It wrapped the danger beast's body six times before Genos' palm slammed the danger beast's head to the grounds.

"It's down!" Genos shouted as he activated his shoulder boosters and accelerated to the Borhino's belly. Susanoo followed by leaping to a nearby tree and jumping towards the other side of the belly. The two delivered a strong punch that left a deep imprint on the beast's skin. The Borhino whined at the incredible attack before succumbing to the internal bleeding brought by the ribs piercing his organs. The special class danger beast has been hunted.

"Master Najenda will be pleased." Susanoo said as he noticed Genos retract his lower right arm back to its socket.

"You…are you truly not an Imperial Relic?" Susanoo crouched and pierced the skin of the beast with his staff for field dressing.

"I am a cyborg." Genos responded as he inspected his arms. Susanoo remained silent. "Oh, do you not know what a cyborg is?"

Susanoo smirked. "I'm sorry. Can you enlighten me with the term?"

"A cyborg is a human whose body has mechanical elements implemented on it. These mechanical elements can allow a person's life to be extended or improved by giving them engineered strength."

"Then you have human parts as well as mechanical parts?" Susanoo closed his right eye as a spurt of blood gushed from an artery. Susanoo clicked his tongue as it had dirtied his clothes as well.

"Yes, although information on _which_ parts are still biological are currently undisclosed by both me and Dr. Stench." Genos scanned Susanoo's body with his eyes. "It would seem you have powerful energy radiating within you as well. However, your body's components…don't look human at all."

"Of course, they don't. All Imperial Relics are danger beasts, you know? At most, this body is completely that of a danger beast's mixed with alchemic sorcery."

"Then, you don't remember anything since you've been created?" Genos' question halted Susanoo's dressing of the Borhino.

"Indeed." Susanoo turned around while still in a crouched position. "Ever since my _creation,_ all I remember are my masters' faces, household chores, and killing techniques. No more, no less."

"That is…tragic." Genos uttered.

"Do _you_ remember anything?" Susanoo smirked.

"I lived with a poor but happy family until a mad cyborg killed them. I was reborn as a cyborg." He said in 20 words. Internally, he was glad he could still follow Saitama's golden precept.

Susanoo's smirk grew melancholic.

He sighed.

"It must be nice to have such love-filled memories to keep for yourself instead of stone cold battles."

Susanoo took the prepared game and carried it on his shoulders. "I would like to gain some memories like those sometime soon with my comrades."

Genos smiled. "Perhaps you should."

He paused as he thought of the words to follow. "well, with _them,_ anyway."

"With them? What do you mean by that, Genos?" Susanoo stopped on his tracks.

"Master Saitama and I are planning to move from the base. We will no longer be living with Night Raid."

000

"W-What?" Tatsumi blurted out loud as his head got smacked by none other than Mine. "Why don't you shut up for a minute!"

Because of the fight against Dr. Stylish, the assassin group had temporarily settled in a secluded part of the forest with tents as their shelter. Tatsumi, Leone, and Lubbock have recently returned from their expedition to Lubbock's bookshop.

"So that means…Saitama…"

"Yep. He left just a day ago with Genos and their things." Mine responded.

Tatsumi seated himself on the wooden chair. "That's…certainly odd. I can't think of a reason why he would leave."

"Maybe it was because he failed as a security guard." Leone snickered. "Of course, I'm not blaming him for stopping that attack. They _were_ too many."

"I don't know about that." Mine dropped to her seat with her arms crossed. "I thought he was just really bored."

"Eh? Why would someone be bored with an assassin group?" Tatsumi asked as Lubbock entered the tent. Upon glancing at the defenseless Leone who sat on her chair in a very relaxed position, he decided to tiptoe his way behind her own chair.

Mine waved her hand. "Who wouldn't be? At night, we're always on the job. We spend daytime on either preparations for our next task or training. All of that wouldn't really suffice for a man as powerful as him."

"I get your point." Lubbock said as he dived down on the bestial woman's back for a special _massage_. Of course, Leone quickly stood up, ending Lubbock's attempt with a backrest to the chin.

"Stupid pervert." Mine remarked with her signature tsundere face, without the dere of course.

"Weeeeeeell" Lubbock stood up instantly with him covering his bleeding gums with a handkerchief. "Thaitama traynd infneetly fathter dan uth duering treyn'ng. Bai da tiem we fnsh, he'd be shpin' reddy." He said naturally with all his muffled voice. *Saitama trained infinitely faster than us during training. By the time we finish, he'd be shopping already.

"Yeah, that is true, although I _really_ think you should really stop talking and tend to your injuries first." Tatsumi said. Lubbock raised a thumbs-up before running out of the tent in humiliation.

"I think leaving out of boredom is a possible reason, but if it _was_ a reason, it'd only be part of it."

Najenda puffed out a cloud of smoke as she leaned on a tent post. "Believe it or not, he really _did_ leave out of boredom, partly. Besides boredom, he said he was stressed by all the drama and tension that was happening around him. That last attack by Dr. Stylish was probably the last straw for him."

"He was stressed out by **that**?" Mine yelled as she stood from her seat. He took Pumpkin, which rested near a group of bags. "Now that's just insulting to us who **actually** does work. The nerve of him! I'm gonna bring him back and let him taste what **stressful** actually means, that baldy."

As Mine went to the tent's exit, the wielder of the one-hit kill sword Murasame stood in her way. "Akame?"

"It's better for us to let him be." Akame said as she blocked Mine's path.

"W-what do you mean by that, Akame?" Tatsumi said as he also stood due to her controversial statement. "I don't know about you, but Saitama was a great inclusion in our battles. What would've happened if he wasn't around during Dr. Stylish's invasion?"

"That naïve side of yours is showing, Tatsumi." Najenda said as she approached Akame's side. "If Bulat was here, he would've punched you again."

"B-Boss…" Tatsumi remembered when he was last punched by Bulat during Sheele's final words.

"We would've pulled through with all we've got because **we're Night Raid**. We are the angels of vengeance for the fallen innocents of the empire. Don't forget that, Tatsumi." Najenda crossed her arms and took a confident stand. "Saitama wasn't part of Night Raid. He never wanted to be part of us in the first place. Through our observations , I've concluded that Saitama can never be a member of Night Raid."

Tatsumi went silent as he realized his dependence on the hero.

"You're right…I guess it was kind of counterproductive…"

"Boss… I want to know" Tatsumi said as he looked at Najenda's eyes with yearning eyes. "I know that you have your reasons, but I want to know why we shouldn't convince Saitama to join Night Raid. I will accept any reason you give. I just…want to know."

"I see. Take a seat." Najenda said as she herself sat. She heaved from her cigarette and puffed another cloud of smoke. "He's the most powerful man I've met. In fact, in all my years serving in the Empire _and_ the Revolutionary army, no person has potential as overwhelming as his."

"Is that not an exaggeration, Boss?" Tatsumi said.

Najenda smiled subtly. "I'm afraid I'm not. He has a punch that can pierce the skies. He has speed that is beyond comprehension. It's beyond anyone I've seen. In fact, there is only one **true** contender against Saitama's strength: The Ice Commander herself."

Leone raised her arms and reached her back. "Yeah, I agree with that one. My instincts keep sending danger signals to my brain every time he punches, even when the punch isn't directed to me. Only Esdeath could trigger my bestial sense that much."

"If what you're saying is true" Tatsumi said as an idea popped to his mind. "Saitama might be the key to defeating Esdeath and the Empire as well"

"I thought so too." An expression of melancholy curled Najenda's face. "However, that isn't the case."

A sense of confusion arose from Tatsumi. How could someone, who she deems powerful enough to stand against the Empire's strongest, not be the key to success in this war? It's baffling to think that the obvious isn't actually the case.

"The problem isn't his power. That much is obvious. However, through our observational reports, two critical criteria weren't reached."

"Criteria? I don't remember anything like that when I became part of Night Raid!"

"I know. However, these standards are particularly ingrained to an assassin's mind. You fit the bill _perfectly._ " Najenda chuckled.

"Then what could someone like Saitama have lacked?"

Akama responded. "Simplicity and Morality"

Tatsumi's forehead creased. "I…don't understand."

Najenda took her cigarette from her mouth and ticked it above the ashtray. "Saitama isn't naïve. That much is certain. His small gestures all have the exact amount of conviction and reason in them. However, Saitama's judgment is...overwhelmingly mundane. He's practical, yes, but predictable. If Saitama fought Esdeath today, she would have outmaneuvered him with her superior techniques and skills with the ice."

Akame began talking next. "Saitama referred to himself several times as a hero who protects rather than kills. Have you noticed the way he fought against Dr. Stylish's henchmen?"

Tatsumi shook as he realized what she meant. "Was he…the one who knocked them unconscious?"

"Exactly, we were the ones who had to finish them off. However, we don't know how many of these foot soldiers were there to begin with, so we have no idea how much were killed. Due to his decision to let them live, our secrecy is compromised."

Tatsumi could only look on with his jaw opened.

"He might have worked efficiently as a security guard for Night Raid, but once we're discovered, it's useless. There hasn't been any repercussions as of yet, but if we continue that, we're going to fail. Don't you remember Aria?"

Tatsumi grit his teeth and clenched his fists as flashbacks of Aria's deeds against his friends flooded his brain. "Of course I do. I would never forget. I would **never** forgive."

"As long as villains like Aria are let loose, we cannot deliver justice do the innocents who fell prey to their cruelty. We cannot simply abide by that!"

"Anyways, we're still going to send a Revolutionary army member to monitor Saitama's actions to see if he isn't going to send information to the Empire." Najenda sighed. "However, in the end, his simplistic war against _monsters,_ as he calls the danger beasts, is simply not fit for our battle against the Empire."

" _The morals of a selfless hero cannot bring down a corruption-riddled Empire"_

000

"So…where exactly are we going, Genos?" Saitama asked as he watched the demon cyborg carry a massive full backpack with ease.

"The chief of the blacksmiths in the village said we should just go straight ahead. It's near the edge of the village, so you can enjoy your solitude in hunting monsters. The village is relatively near to the Capital as well, so accessibility isn't an issue." Genos said nonchalantly.

"Blacksmiths?"

"Oh, they are the ones who repaired my cable arm and armor. As payment, I gave them the location of the metal. The metals were apparently _very_ rare and they said it would feed their families for generations to come. In their gratitude, they had a new cottage built."

"Damn, they're happy, huh." Saitama smirked. "Well, we don't need a massive cottage built for us. As long as we can live in it, it's fine."

"I've got that covered, Master." Genos said as he stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped his bag and opened a special compartment. After he sunk his entire lower arm within the pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper folded in fourths. Genos unfolded the paper, revealing the master plan of the cottage.

"Thanks to my knowledge of every nook and cranny of your apartment, I may be able to recreate its style and comfort. Of course, the blacksmiths said they would ask the village carpenters to include some of their styles while maintaining the blueprint of the ho-"

"Woah woah woah woah woah, they do **not** need to go that far." Saitama said with a creased forehead.

"I see. Master Saitama _is_ a simple man. I will ask them to destroy it and rebuild once more" Genos said as he began walking to the village alone.

"Genos, that's enough. That's way too embarrassing. It's fine!" Saitama yelled out to stop the cyborg from his plans.

"But master, if it's not to your liking, then I will…"

"Stop right there." Saitama said, making Genos halt abruptly. "It's very impractical to just start from scratch when we already have what we need. We just need to live with what we currently have, you know what I mean?"

Saitama's thrift-centered words of wisdom struck his loyal disciple's ears. "I see. Master Saitama, thank you for your teachings"

Elated by these words, Genos immediately took out a notebook from the same pocket he took out the blueprints. He opened it and scribbled down Saitama's words, the interpretations and analyses of these words, and the application of these words to his own development as a hero in a conquest for strength. Of course, Saitama never meant anything other than the denotative meaning of his words, but what else could he do other than to watch his disciple improve himself through his own methods, albeit deceivingly crediting it to him.

"Ah, who's he?" A bearded man walked towards the duo with a beaming smile. The man had a fairly toned body revealed through his black tank top. A white bandanna tightly wrapped his hair as a makeshift headgear, while he was clad in loose grey pants with a similarly colored jacket wrapped around his waist.

"Genos, my mochocho!" the man exclaimed as he increased his pacing. As he heard, Genos closed his notes and turned to see the hard worker.

"Blitz, I thought you were in the mines around this time." Genos said as he replaced his notebook and the blueprints within the comically large bag.

Blitz laughed boisterously. "Don't be silly, Genos! I can't just leave our most valuable investor to his new home without so much as an introduction"

"Damn he's lively" Saitama said as he watched Blitz pat the uncomfortable cyborg's back a dozen times.

"So? Where the hell is this master of yours?" Blitz said as he used his hand as a visor and looked far away, despite the master actually being present behind him. "Truth be told, I'm both excited and a bit nervous to meet him. From what you said, he seems like a big, powerful, noble man with immense integrity. To me, he's the epitome of manliness!"

Genos' eyes beamed as well. "You're correct! I would have called you out due to the redundancy of your words, but I would think saying a word twice isn't enough to refer to Master Saitama's greatness"

Saitama pinched his nose bridge as an expression of irritation rose from his face. "These fanboys…"

"Ah, this is Master Saitama" Genos pointed behind Blitz. Saitama, who still held an annoyed face, faced the lively man who turned around.

The two stared at each other, as if both were unimpressed.

"T-Then, shall we go to the house?" Blitz said as he went to the direction of Saitama's new home.

" _Where the hell did that enthusiasm from before go to?"_ Saitama thought as a vein popped in his head. The journey to the home was short and silent for Saitama. Blitz kept talking to Genos and eerily avoided Saitama's attention by doing so. All he could do was follow the hard working man while enjoying the breeze of the refreshing cool air flowing throughout the slightly dense forest. "This is kinda nice, actually" Saitama says as he took his time gazing at the peaceful scenery of the early morning in the forest.

"Aaaand here we are!" Blitz's immense voice broke as he threw his arms to present the new house. In front of Saitama and Genos was a small humble cottage that is completely styled with medieval taste. Overlapping umber wooden planks sat on top of the oak foundation of the structure as a roof. Oddly cut slabs of stone comprised every inch of the building, especially the chimney and the walls, except for the windows, the main door, and the door to the balcony, which were all framed with oak lumber. Indeed, its exterior finish is extremely cozy.

"We've done a marvelous job, haven't we?" Blitz said with a smile from ear-to-ear. "It's a perfect representation of our village's style, too!"

"Yes." Genos transferred his gaze to Saitama.

' _He's expecting a response, huh?'_ Saitama thought as he cleared his throat. "It's…a nice house."

As he heard Saitama's compliment, Genos smirked. "I'm glad you like it, Master."

"I have one question though" Saitama asked as he gazed at the environment surrounding the house. The clearing in the forest reached an estimate of 200 meter radius before being marked by a short wooden fence. Several fruit-bearing trees were planted in this clearing. "As I thought…"

"What do you mean, sir?" Blitz said with a deadpan face to Saitama, who winced at the reaction.

"This clearing in the forest is a bit too large. Not only that, but it seems the trees in this land has fruits sold at a valuable price." Saitama remembered his first trip to the Capital. Indeed, each of these fruits would sell greater than 12 normal fruits at the hellish market Saitama entered before. In fact, remembering the prices made Saitama wince.

"Ah, that's true. The truth is, this place is one of the most fertile areas in this village. Majority of the village's funds come from exports of the fruits here." Blitz smirked at Genos. "However, when Genos came around and brought an ore of that unknown mineral, we focused our attentions from hunting and gathering to mining that mineral. After that, we heard that the Empire was interested in buying our metal. Can you believe that? Now, exporting the metal sends us enough money to survive!"

"I do not need unnecessary praise." Genos said in a straightforward manner. "I simply thought it would be a waste to have knowledge of valuable and rare metals like those, when I merely required a small amount for the armor."

Blitz laughed boisterously as he patted Genos' back even more violently than before. "That's why I like you so much. You're such a humble guy!"

"Well, it's all up to you then." Blitz said as he threw the keys to Saitama, who caught it thanks to his perfect reflexes. "Genos, if you ever need any more repairs or if you want to make the house a mansion, just ask."

"Understood." Genos said as Blitz left the lot to meet his co-workers in the Mines.

"What do you think, Master Saitama?" Genos awaited his master's response as Saitama held his chin. "This entire land was gifted by the miners as thanks to the metal ore I found, but I'm sure if they knew of your own feats, they would've treated you with much more grandiose."

"I don't really care about that." Saitama said with an ominous smile as a nerve popped from his head. "I just thought that the guy was rude and all. Is it because I'm _caped baldy_?"

Saitama turned around and began to walk away from the cottage. "Master?"

"Don't follow, Genos. I'm just gonna blow off some steam, is all. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna punch the Earth or anything."

Yep. It's not like Saitama could destroy the Earth in one punch or anything.

"Good Morning, Sir!" a voice uttered before Genos could even follow his Master's footsteps.

A gust of wind shifted the bangs of the woman's vermillion, bob-cut hair. Her outfit's sleeves and skirt swayed to the cool breeze. She wore a solemn but confident expression that reeked of _integrity_. She naturally bowed as her first greeting to her new master.

"Who are you?" Genos asked as the girl straightened her posture.

She brushed the unnoticeable dust on her dull, worn, brown apron and flashed a thousand watt smile as juxtaposition to the Demon Cyborg's serious demeanor. "Why, I am a newly hired laborer who will maintain the fruit bearing trees of this land, good sir!"

The woman walked to a nearby basket and bended her knees to lift it off the grass. "I was told that most of the female harvesters of these fruits were growing older each day. That's why when the area was given to you, most of them, albeit slightly worried for the trees, were overjoyed that their burdens were lifted for the time being.

Genos activated his mechanical sensors in his eyes. The woman showed natural movements as expected of any other stranger in the marketplace. The ensemble of brown apron, gray gloves, beige long sleeved shirt, and black long skirt that she called "The fruit harvester's uniform" seemed very mediocre as well. Nothing stood out from her. Well, at least from a commoner's eyes.

However, Genos is so far from a commoner that we can compare his eyes alone to that of a cybernetic hawk eye while a normal person's is an insect's. He's S-class, after all, and from the lineup in the S-class, we can attest that they were far from normal; human, even! To everyone of his world, the S-classers are more of monsters.

"You lie." Genos said straightforwardly, which took the woman by surprise. "Every movement you make may seem normal. However, in my eyes, your every movement looks scripted and predictable; Fluid yet cautious."

"Oh my~ What do you imply, good sir?" She says as she swayed her right hand, as if feigning ignorance. Genos creased his forehead.

The woman paused as the smile on her face seemingly dissipated as she caught Genos' glare.

"I see." She said as she bowed once more. "Then let me introduce myself once more."

"I am Kumi, an undercover soldier from the Revolutionary Army. I was tasked by Night Raid to keep an eye on you to prevent any leakage of information whatsoever." She smiled again. However, her smile was certainly more ominous. It would certainly send shivers to Genos' spine, if only he wasn't a cyborg.

" **I am in your care~** "


	11. Monster Boogaloo

A roar echoed throughout the forest as a large beast stormed through the woods. A large white organism, two meters shorter but, nonetheless, as bulky as him, engaged it in a pushing contest.

" **How dare you stand in my way** " the mysterious being, whose head and lower body was a horse's, neighed as it began to advance. Hekatonkheires, the biological Imperial Arms, anchored its disproportionately muscular legs to the ground even further to no avail.

The mysterious being was clad in a formal attire ensemble consisting of a jacket, a white inner shirt, and black pants. The clothing he wore could not be called a "perfect fit to him" as they were practically bursting at the seams.

" **I, the Hors Horse, loved my horse so much that I gave her Hors Doeuvre from the day she was born to the dreaded day she was taken from me by Death! Now, I shall take their revenge upon my hand to wipe your pathetic kind's existence, who keeps riding them without remorse!** "

Unbeknownst to the monster, a deranged smiling face watched from a distance while four missile turrets were connected to her arms. "Number 2"

Four missiles were unleashed and sent straight to the horse's body. A bright light flashed as a thick cloud of smoke devoured the battlefield in an instant. A subtle grunting noise was the only sound heard afterwards.

"That's what happens when you mess with Justice, villain!" Seryu Ubiquitous shouted with a proud smile as she observed the aftermath of her destructive attack. A dark silhouette emerged from the suspending smoke. "Right, Koro?"

As the Imperial Arms began to walk towards its master, a force held his back fur. Koro's forehead wrinkled as it showed its signature layers of teeth before looking at the culprit. However, before it could even react, the being threw it through a series of toppled trees, impaling it in branches.

" **Little Girl** " a voice uttered as the smoke cleared thanks to the impressive throw. " **Horses have always been harassed by dogs as well. That must mean killing your pupper is like hitting two birds with one stone, eh?** "

Seryu was taken aback. "He's…still alive?"

The horse heaved as it galloped at a surprisingly fast rate towards the attacker. "Move, Seryu!"

A man clad in dark blue armor rushed towards the horse and punched its head from the side. The horse monster stumbled and fell on one knee as it groaned in pain. " **How dare you, human** " the monster shouted as reached for one of the uprooted trees he had crashed into.

"Number 3! Justice won't allow that!" Seryu shouted as Koro instantly bit her arm. She slashed the monster's bicep with a blade in hopes of cutting off Hors Horse's arm. Blood gushed as the horse monster leaped back.

The monster looked at his moderately wounded arm before stomping his horse-like feet, making the forest floor shake slightly. " **Human, this was my favorite suit. I shall crush every inch of your bones in return** "

"Don't let him do anything, Seryu!" Wave shouted as he dashed to a tree and kicked himself towards the horse. Pulling his fists to a ball, he gave a mighty yell before delivering a straight punch to the monster's snout.

However, the so-called "mysterious being" wasn't that easy to destroy.

" **I'm gonna fucking wreck you, boy!** " Hors said as it delivered an uppercut to Wave, sending him to the skies. Wave grunted as he glanced at the monster. "W-What power!"

The soldier of the Empire barrel rolled in mid air and kicked the air to send him back to his target. He straightened one leg and aimed it directly at the mysterious being's head. "Grand Fall!"

The horse drew his fist backwards and delivered a straight upward punch. In the end, the momentum of both forces led to a cross encounter to their faces. Both opponents gave distance to each other.

"I should be careful." Wave thought. "This Danger Beast is stronger than I thought. He winced in irritation. "To be honest, he looks like some joke character from some manga. How the hell can I even fight seriously when this Danger Beast literally has a stupid horse head for a face!"

" **You've proven to be worth battling, human. However, given your current set of abilities, I can see the end!** " the horse neighed and repeatedly stomped and traced his feet on the ground, as if he was trying to signal like regular horses.

" **HORS STAMPEDE"**

"KORO, ATTACK HIM" Seryu pointed to the Danger Beast as her own monstrous imperial arm grew even more muscular and charged at the opponent, mouth agape.

Koro growled mightily as it approached Hors Horse, with only a meter between its mouth and the monster's head.

Wave's eyes widened beneath his helmet. "No way! The horse just…faded?"

As he blinked to confirm his suspicions, Koro's massive body instantly flew towards through the trees. "W-What the hell?"

Wave felt pain on his right rib as a force sent him flying to the forest canopy. Gritting his teeth, Wave tried to stop his momentum by grabbing the branches he crashes through. Eventually, his movement stopped as his back lay flat on an extraordinarily thick tree trunk.

"Gah, this is bad." The warrior raised his head and wearily looked left and right for any sign of Hors Horse. "What's with that Danger Beast? I was sure I dealt damage in my last attack, then…"

Wave winced at the thought. "He **changed**. It's not some absurd power like invisibility. He's just _faster, stronger, and more durable_. But…why?"

As Wave held the trunk behind him as if he was a cat observing his surroundings, a gust of wind struck his armor as the image of a large horse appeared and glanced sideward at him with a much different aura surrounding it. Its eyes that previously seemed so aloof suddenly became bloodshot and sharpened. It's comparable to that of a predator desperately hunting its prey; never giving it any chance to escape.

Upon noticing the beast, Wave instinctively kicked himself away from the tree trunk. He heard a crash from the position he left, which was only a second later. He bounced from one trunk and leapt towards the monster.

"I shouldn't fall down that easily!" he shouted with all his might. "Eat this, freak!"

Wave released a barrage of punches at Hors while matching his punching speed with his punching strength. Hors Horse crossed his arms to block the incoming attacks. Wave continued to pound his fists onto the muscular body of the monster until the impact of his punches forced a dust cloud to arise from the cracked ground. He jumped to the skies and aimed his leg once more to the center of dust cloud.

" **Grand Fall** " he delivered his attack with a kick downward stomp. His attack's shockwave cleared the dust and increased the visibility in the area to reveal the devastating effect of an Imperial Relic.

" **That was quite a show. Good show!** " the monster remained unharmed, much to the ex-Navy soldier's shock.

"Impossible!" Wave shouted at the monster. "My attacks should've been strong enough to break boulders, yet you live unscathed? How?!"

The horse neighed. " **A youthful outburst of strength cannot possibly defeat my passion, foolish human. I would commend you for trying, but what is the point in giving all you have when you're too weak to see through it to the end?** "

Hors Horse stomped on the forest floor, cracking the ground and toppling trees within the radius in the process. He charged at Wave at full speed, when a projectile crashed onto his face.

"S-Seryu!" Wave said as the smoke concealed the crazed woman of justice and himself. "Thanks!"

"All for my comrade!" Seryu smiled as she supported Wave in standing up. Wave stumbled as Seryu caught his body by letting her body be his human crutch.

"D-Dammit." Wave cursed. "My attacks don't even do anything against him. It's like he's a sponge that keeps tanking damage."

"I know. Not only is he strong and durable, but he's so fast that even my eyes cannot track him. The only way that attack hit was because he was distracted and I anticipated him to do that." Seryu smirked. "But don't worry! Justice always prevails!"

"Justice?" Wave looked at Seryu, who turned her subtle smirk to a sinister grin. "Koro!"

" **Go Berserk** "

A dark shadow had casted itself upon the smoke screen. In mid-air, Koro's body increased in musculature and turned brown and rabid with crimson eyes. The Imperial Arms roared ferociously, clearing the smoke and revealing Hors Horse, who seemed like it anticipated the return of the beast.

" **Hahaha. My love for my horse is too powerful to be tamed by a beast like you. Fight me, fellow monster** "

Koro grit its teeth as it delivered a multitude of punches down to its similarly monstrous target. Hors held his arms forward in an attempt to block the Relic's rampage. Unfortunately, the strength in each punch was powerful enough to completely tear away his guard in a matter of seconds. As the horse was being pummeled with his back nearly reaching the ground, he took a step backwards.

" **Not bad. However, I shall show you how vicious my attacks can be!** "

The monster began to retaliate. The two beings of immense stature exchanged blows with the other, easily looking as if both weren't even fazed by the other's attacks.

"Incredible, Koro." Seryu was overjoyed. "You managed to match that thing with Justice! That's a good boy!"

"No." Wave commented, catching Seryu's attention. "The fact that you could still see them fight means that thing's not going all out yet. Seryu, we better get out of here."

"Koro…" a concerned look showed on Seryu's face. Of course there would. After all, Koro was her beloved pet, and who wouldn't want their pet to die to a random beast that had appeared?

A blow pierced through Koro's shoulder. Koro paused before roaring in retaliation. Unfortunately, a sonic roar could not destroy the Horse's obsession. Such is the strength of a monster.

"Koro!" Seryu yelled as she and her comrade watched the horse monster pummel holes into the helpless Hekatonkheires with ease. Despite the Imperial Relic trying its best to deliver a counter punch, the monster's increasing punching speed and strength easily overwhelmed it. At this point, the Imperial Arms' arms had both fallen off and several holes already punctured its main body with the exception of its chest. Koro's owner could only shout. "Justice! Defeat him with Justice, Koro!"

After hearing its master's words, Koro began to desperately fight back by advancing with its mouth agape, which looked like a cavern filled with sharp daggers.

" **That won't work!** " Hors Horse delivered a straight punch, easily tearing a hole through the Imperial Relic's throat. Koro fell backwards. In its whole service as an Imperial Relic back to the First Emperor's reign, it had never fought a being _this_ powerful. As if in shock, it remained on the grounds defeated and stationary.

" **The truth is** " The monster began to talk. " **I knew what your weakness was. I punched through everywhere except your chest. So that must mean if I punch you through your or whatever it is that's in your chest, you will most likely die.** "

Hors neighed. " **That's not fun at all. I'll play with your useless body until I'm satisfied. That's the price you get for following orders from a person who continuously torture these poor horses** "

"Let's run!" Wave said as he carried Seryu and ran away.

"L-Let go! I'm not going to let a comrade of Justice die!" She yelled as she struggled. "Koro's mission isn't done yet. I'm…I'm going to help him!"

"Don't you see that thing? It punched through Koro like he was a punching a newspaper. It'd be trouble to fight something like that head on!" Wave clicked his tongue. "We need to reform and think of a plan."

"There's no need" A voice said as they passed its origin. Wave stopped himself from running and looked backwards. The Ice Commander herself appeared with hands on her hips. "Justice truly will prevail. I'm going to show you, Seryu."

"General!" Seryu gave a relieved smile.

"Come join me. I'll show you." The General ran to the scene with her two soldiers trailing behind her. She stopped at the sight of the Horse monster crushing Hekatonkheires' leg with its right hoof.

" **Hmm, so the vermin has returned?** " The horse glanced backwards to see the blue haired lady approaching him without any emotion.

" **You walking so fearlessly should mean you have already accepted your death, shouldn't it, Miss-** "

Before it could even react, a thin wall of ice rose from the ground and bisected Hors Horse's body vertically. The body's parts separately fell to their own sides at their own pace. Blood stained the otherwise frosty clear ice that separated his lateral parts previously. In an instant, the battle was done. "That's what you get for disrespecting property of the Empire, scum." She said as blood flowed to her boots. She stepped away as a subtle breeze made her blue hair sway. She walked back to her soldiers.

"I have something to talk about" The Ice commander casually said to her awe-struck subordinates.

"Y-Yes ma'am"

000

"As you know, more eccentric beings have kept appearing the past month or so." Esdeath said as she walked through the forest. She had ordered Seryu to tend to her _pet_ 's recovery as she decided to tell her about the Empire's status another time.

"Yes." Wave said as he followed Jaeger's leader. The truth is he was still stupefied by the Ice Commander. Of course, he had expected great things from the Strongest in the Empire, but he never thought that her power could kill beings of that caliber in one hit. At that point, he had realized the reason why she was considered a phenom. However, he could not tell her his admiration, thanks to Esdeath's serious demeanor on the current topic. "They seem to be growing stronger in each appearance, too. More and more special class and super class danger beasts become more frequent as well. If this goes on…"

"That's where you're wrong, Wave." Esdeath said while continuing to walk upslope.

"Eh? Why, ma'am?"

She sighed. "All my life, I have hunted down Danger Beasts. Of course, there were many kinds of them. That's why we have a classification system, right?"

She speaks of the Danger Beast Classification system established by the Empire. Because of the harm dealt by these organisms, the Empire has provided a specific system to provide a standard in taking down such monsters, specifically: Class 4, Class 3, Class 2, Class 1, Special Class, and Super class.

"Of course" Wave responded.

"Well, there's a difference between the current fast-appearing beings from what we traditionally call Danger Beasts."

Wave's eyes widened. "What do you mean, General Esdeath?"

"I mean their natures." Esdeath said with her full experience in her previous life as a Danger Beast hunter fully exposed. Well, it's not like no one knew she was one. After all, she was capable of taming these beasts as her pets to be used for her own personal entertainment and for use in battle. "The reason we call Danger Beasts, well, Danger Beasts is because they have a significantly more violent and hazardous nature compared to ordinary animals. However, at the end of the day, they are still the same as the common house rats: animals. However…"

She stopped walking and looked at Wave. A serious expression was apparent on her face. This _is_ a serious matter.

"There was **never** a case where a human was able to transform to a Danger Beast out of his own will."

"transform… would it be possible if the person had an Imperial Relic with that sort of ability?" Wave asked.

"Of course it's possible." Esdeath shrugged her shoulders. "We cannot rule out that possibility. However, the circumstances this time is common in every investigation that we've done prior to the Danger Beast transformation."

"May I ask what the investigation found?"

Esdeath paused to think. "This information should be formally released the next few days, so it wouldn't hurt if you knew. The information gathered by our inspectors show that people who eventually transformed into these _Danger Beasts_ were originally ordinary humans who had… _issues_."

"Issues?" Wave was bewildered.

"They were supposedly people deemed by others as mentally unstable. They seem to have some sort of obsession on something, no matter how absurd it is. An example is the beast you fought just recently."

"That horse monster?" Wave blurted out. After realizing he has raised his voice, he apologized immediately. "I'm sorry, general."

"So you've been troubled _that_ much? I should have gone earlier then." Esdeath chuckled. "In any case, the differences don't stop there. Unlike Danger Beasts who have their own species with an established nature which allows them to live in one homogeneous population, these beings are isolated and unpredictable when they _do_ appear. It's almost as if their pent up frustrations had erupted and given new form to their bodies"

"I don't get it." The soldier said. "If people were to only transform due to obsession and frustration, shouldn't these… _things_ have existed long ago?"

Esdeath smirked and continued traversing the forest pathway. "It's only a hypothesis of mine. There were many cases wherein mutations turn people to Danger Beasts after being subjected to human experimentation. In that case, a new element is administered to the body of that person that disturbs the homeostasis of the body and stimulates a domino effect on the-"

"General Esdeath…" Wave, with an apologetic smile, scratched his head. "I don't think I understood the ending part.

"Oh." Esdeath paused to think of simpler terms. "In other words, the drug makes them transform. Is that enough?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

"Well then, the reason I brought up that topic is because of the incident we found ourselves into."

"Incident? You mean the mission with General Budo's army?" Wave asked. "I believe you were supposed to go after an estranged Danger Beast."

"You know a lot." Esdeath complimented. "We ordered several investigative reports on the incidents happening in Fakyo forest. Apparently, there have been eyewitnesses of people encountering Super class Danger Beasts wandering this forest. There were even sayings that a Danger Beast nest could be found deep within it. A particularly detailed account spoke of a serpentine beast with metallic blue scales covering it. The reports found that the Danger Beast spewed out electricity from its body and controlled the clouds themselves to conceal its presence."

"Electricity…" Wave held his chin. "If I remember correctly, General Budo has Imperial Arms that allows him to create and manipulate lightning. Could this be coincidental?"

"That's why we went off to find out. In the case that it has the same power as Adramelech, the Prime Minister would hire alchemists and weapon smiths to create new modern Imperial Arms for use of the Empire's army."

"I've heard that Imperial Arms were first created in the First Emperor's reign. If that's the case, then this would be an exciting part of history, wouldn't it, General?"

Esdeath did not react as she continued walking. "Not as exciting as you think."

"Why?" Wave was bemused. The thought of helping more people with modern Imperial Arms and defeating Night Raid with them would be a sight to behold, after all. Why would the General not give off her confident aura that usually accompanied her in such times?

"The existence of the new Danger Beasts is threatening the extinction of the Super Class." She said coldly.

"Impossible." He said. "Super Class should be the ceiling of power. They're basically the Apex Predators. How could the new beasts even pose a challenge to something that's basically a living mountain?"

Esdeath approached the peak of the hill and stepped on top of a nearby boulder by the cliff's edge for a clearer view. "Witness our new enemies." She claimed as she pointed downwards.

Wave raised his arm to block the glare of the sun to his eyeballs. He instinctively looked above before the General tapped his shoulder to remind him that she's pointing downwards. His eyes widened in shock.

"That's just…unfair."

A Danger Beast's dismembered head rested on the side of the cliff that they were on. Blood gushed out of its head as if it was a rushing waterfall. Nothing of its previous might and glory were apparent. Its once sharp eyes were now grey and dull. Its metallic blue scales have gone pale and lifeless. It was far from what it used to be. Several soldiers of the Empire who guarded the ex Super class Danger Beast's corpse looked at the arrival of Esdeath and her companion.

"Couldn't we scavenge some parts from the Danger Beast's skull?" Wave asked as his shock forced his body to an empty demeanor. The scene was such that it had attacked him with a feeling of hopelessness.

"The most useful part of this type of Danger Beast is its body. Unfortunately, no matter how much we try, the body is not in Fakyo forest."

"A head this big should mean that the Danger Beast should have a larger body." Wave said. "There's no way it could disappear that easily, right General?"

"No." Esdeath closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's completely possible. Do you see the connection, Wave? There aren't many possibilities. After all, Super class Danger Beasts are known to live far longer than any other living being on Earth. They're supposed to reign above most beings on Earth, and they deserve to survive the harshness of Nature. However, if perhaps a mightier being, born of alchemy or evolution, exists to be far more superior over the Super Class, then the Empire should be vigilant."

Wave noticed a change of tone in Esdeath's voice. He glanced over to her expression. She still gazed at the remnants of the Danger Beast, but a smile existed on her face.

"I cannot help but feel immense excitement and valor, Wave. A being that is powerful enough to utterly annihilate a Super Class Danger Beast that is more than capable of wiping out horizons in an instant is a fitting opponent." She released a giddy, yet ominous grin at the thought of the battle. "Yes, that is a battle I yearn for."

Wave hid a slightly horrified expression from the warmonger. In an attempt to redirect the focus of the General, he had opened a new topic. "Ah, you said General Budo came with you to search for the Danger Beast. Where is he?"

"I'm not sure." Esdeath held her chin. Safe to say, Wave successfully changed the topic. "The lightning geezer and I separated our parties to find the monster. In fact, he said he had witnessed the battle between the unknown Danger Beast and our target. He had a messenger sent to us to direct us to the Danger Beast's corpse and decided to follow the Danger Beast."

"Alone? That's dangerous." Wave blurted out. "We need to send our support pronto!"

"Stop." Esdeath said with a commanding glare, not out of anger but of sternness as a General. "The geezer added that he did not wish to be followed nor spied. Whether he's trying to redeem himself by killing the beast himself or he's going to spy on it to bring information to the capital is beyond my knowledge. However, as a fellow warrior, I must respect his decisions, and as his subordinate, you should too."

"And if he dies?" Esdeath looked at Wave, who had an earnest expression.

Esdeath exhaled. "If he dies, then that's just how Mother Nature chooses its victors. It would mean he was too weak for the task to begin with."

"I see." Wave nodded. The next moment was silent, as they observed the rotting flesh of the Danger Beast continue to do so with the passage of time.

000

"Hoh, so you have new daggers now, Genos?" Saitama said as he entered his land from the depths of the forest. "That looks quite expensive."

"Welcome back, Master Saitama." Genos greeted with a smirk. "How was your tour of the forest?"

"Well, I guess it's not that much different from Z city." Saitama picked his ear. "It had a few monsters here and there, but it's not like I can't handle it."

"Heh, just as expected." Genos said as he focused on a few standing logs he was going to use as practice dummies. Holding the daggers in an ice pick grip, Genos accelerated towards the logs and sliced through them at a split-second. As if it was a shonen comic, the wood remained connected until they slowly slid off the slanted cut from Genos' blades.

"Wow…those would make good knives." Saitama said as he went to a nearby faucet. "Where'd you get those?"

"Apparently, the blacksmiths were not only overjoyed enough to give this land, but they also gifted us these blades crafted from the metal I found." Genos looked at his blades. "From my observations of Night Raid, I noticed that they usually depend on sharp and accurate weapons to quickly end the life of their targets usually in one fell swoop. I figured that having that advantage may help me reach the top 10 of S-class faster, although I still yearn for destructive overwhelming power to defeat the Mad Cyborg. I might ask Dr. Kuseno to create weapons like these in the future for melee combats."

"Of course, if you'd like, Master, you could use them for preparing food."

"I look forward to it. I won't be using it much, anyway, since you're the one who usually cooks." Saitama took off his bloodied gloves and held them with one hand. He took a nearby bucket and filled it halfway with water before he soaked the gloves.

Genos noticed his master and sheathed his blades to their scabbards attacked to the back of his hips. "Master, please let me do tha-"

"Nah, it's fine. I can handle this alone, thank you very much." An annoyed Saitama said. Lately, Genos had been doing much of his chores that he ends up not doing anything at all but laze around. It would be good for a person with a lazy mindset, but for a bored person this would be hell.

"Heh, so you've gone monster hunting again?" a familiar voice said behind him. Saitama turned to see Kumi with a basket filled with colorful fruits.

"Monster hunting? I'd rather call it Hero duties." Saitama said as he scratched his head. "Anyways, why are you here?"

Kumi chuckled. "I'll be watching _you_ from a distance."

A wrinkled showed on Saitama's forehead. "So…you're a stalker? Sorry, but a disciple alone is already a handful. I don't think I can handle a stalker, too."

"No, I'm not." Kumi puffed her cheeks. "Night Raid ordered me to keep an eye on you so you don't leak any information to the enemy."

"Genos…" Saitama turned his attention to his disciple. "Did you know about this?"

"Hmm? Yes, master. It was a condition given by Night Raid so we could move away from them. However, please tell me if she is becoming a problem for you. I shall eliminate her immediately." Genos glared at the woman.

"No, don't." Saitama waved his hand as a bullet of sweat perspired from his face. "If you do that, the Empire won't be the _only_ problem we have."

Saitama raised his shoulders. "Besides, it'd be too time-consuming to maintain this land by ourselves."

"Master!" Genos yelled. "I can do so in my spare time. There's no need for her to stay."

"Dude, would you really clean up after the trees _then_ have time to do hero work afterwards?" Saitama raised his brow. "You should focus on what's important."

Genos was left with his mouth agape. "I see, Master! I shall take a note of it" he said before rushing towards the cottage.

"Wow, you've got a confident and loyal disciple there." Kumi said with a smirk as her eyes trailed Genos.

Saitama looked at her gazing at the cottage. "I guess he _is_ a good guy, though he's a bit… _serious_ at times."

She chuckled. "Serious? More like _obsessive_. In fact, I would have definitely fallen for him if not for that personality. I kind of got turned off there."

"Well, that's not a surprise." Saitama said as he turned his head away from her vision. "After all, _he's_ the one who has the fan clubs."

"Heh~" Kumi went near Saitama and tried to gaze at his face. "I wonder why that is…is it because…"

"I'm just not famous, is all." Saitama kept averting his gaze from the woman who persistently followed.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me people don't like you for any reason." She said with a grin on her face. "Is it because you're…"

"Argh, the hell's your problem" Saitama finally burst. A vein popped out from his head. "What with everyone's teasing today!"

"Heh, I was going to talk about your suit." She had a satisfied smile plastered on her face as she innocently skipped a step or two away from him. "Hmm, I thought it'd be a bit boring since Boss said you were more focused on your job or just lazing around. It turns out that it would be fun to play for a bit~"

Saitama's eye twitched before he had decided to walk to his cottage. "I think I prefer the previous place now…" he thought to himself. He reached for the door knob, but it had suddenly been opened from the inside.

"Master, I forgot to tell you."

"What?"

"I've reprinted every manga and light novel you had on your shelves back in your original place."

Saitama looked at Genos. "Again, what?"

"I thought that you could be missing your favorite books back at home. That's why I asked the local press to republish each of them. They happily accepted the task and even printed some of their recommended books for you."

"Dude…stop being a sucker for details, alright?"

As Saitama entered his home, a certain blond haired General looked at the humble cottage from a distance.

"So you live here, Saitama." He said seriously as he gazed at the lands. "a home void of luxuries…surrounded by trees of rare fruit…it's painstakingly mediocre compared to every General and politician's homes."

He smirked. "However, if this is the home chosen by the man who obliterates Super Class beings in one hit, then… **it is a sight to respect and to behold**."

000

"Hoh, so you're the so-called Hero Hunter" a familiar white haired person said with a smile to the similarly white haired martial artist. "Not bad. You defeated two A-class heroes with not a single weapon. I commend you!"

The man, named Garou, had just finished beating Golden ball and Spring Mustachio, as evidenced by his wounded left hand and his torn shirt. Having his fist bloodied by the blood of his enemies, he glanced at the stranger who spoke. "It seems the backwoods have heard of me. Sorry, but I'm only here to hunt heroes."

He faced the tanned man. "Get lost. I'm on a roll right now. Since I've beaten some A-class heroes, I might as well defeat an S-class next!" He giddily said.

"Now now, don't be so damn excited." Syura said with a malicious grin. "You want to end up dead before knowing it, hot stuff?"

"Well, you're brave." Garou replied with his own smile. "I don't think you're a hero, but I'll be glad to put you out of your misery. After all, a monster _never_ discriminates. They only conduct evil _on the spot_."

"Hah" Syura shouted as pointed his hand to the human monster with the palm open and facing the skies above. "You really like to keep yapping on and on, eh? Why don't you just shut up and fight me. I'm an impatient man, you know?"

"Fine, but don't bitch after I'm done with you." Garou smiled as he rushed at an inhuman speed towards Syura with a single leap.

Syura smiled. Everything was going according to his plans. He knew defeating one A-class hero was already a difficult feat. Even he was no match for some of them, after all. However, Syura had _that_ particular trick.

A bright light shined beneath Garou, who was in midair. "W-What?" the prodigy said as he glanced beneath him. The symbol was a simple circle with several unknown marks along with the Tau symbol as its center. "The fuck is this?"

"Now, it's over!" Syura shouted. " **Dimensional Formation: Shambhala** "

The light grew brighter and brighter as it consumed everything above it. After reaching its maximum peak, the light ceased and the mark had vanished and a thin cloud of dust that had formed subsided. An empty back alley, as well as two unconscious A-class heroes, greeted Prime Minister Honest's son, much to his glee. "Hah, that cocky bastard's finally gone. I won."

He walked to the A-class hero Golden Bat's incapacitated body and tapped his cheek with his toes. "He wasn't cocky for no reason, though. These guys are out _cold_. They'll definitely need a doctor to heal these wounds." He chuckled. "I was fortunate enough to have Shambhala at my side. I don't want to admit it, but his attacks were too fast for my eyes. I couldn't learn them at all. The only reason I was able to activate Shambhala was because I predicted he'd be going straight for me. If I failed and I were to be the receiving end of his flurry of attacks, I would be like these dudes."

"Oh, is that so?" a voice said from above. The hair on Syura's skin stood end to end as he felt the incredible aura, definitely from the origin of that voice. "Impossible…"

Syura turned his head to the skies to see that the martial artist was looking down on him while clinging to the concrete walls using only his fingertips. His slender yet muscular limbs that embedded themselves to the stone wall along with his spiky hair made him look like a hybrid of a starved wolf and a long legged spider. As Syura gazed at the human monster, Garou leaped and delivered a blow to Syura with an elbow strike.

Syura grunted. His body crashed to the floors and was sent several meters from his original position. He held his chin and looked at his fingers. "Blood…I'm bleeding…Damn bastard"

"You really expected I wouldn't know anything about you?" Garou laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Syura took a step backwards warily.

"Are you an idiot or are you simply _that_ off grid? There were rumors circulating about how heroes were suddenly disappearing without a trace. They don't know where they went, and I certainly don't care. Still, you were hogging all the heroes for yourself. How could my reputation as a Human Monster spread if there are no heroes around?"

"Human monster, he says." Syura thought. "If he's talking about being a Danger Beast or something close to it, I could probably help him out."

"Fortunately" Garou continued as he gripped his fist. "You were stupid enough to not see those security cameras around. As if that wasn't enough, you even showed your technique to the masses. With that information, of course your failure was inevitable! Even if I don't beat you right now, the Hero Association is on to you. Well, it's not like you stand a chance against me in the first place."

"So you're that confident, eh?" Syura spat on the ground. He assumed a stance and focused on the human monster, despite his instincts telling him that he stands no chance. He was simply too prideful to even listen to them right now. Logically, why would he lose when he has the knowledge of many martial arts techniques instilled in his fighting style? "I was only playing around with my toy. You wouldn't stand a chance against me in battle."

Garou chuckled before assuming his own stance. "Witness the strength of a monster."

Syura rushed towards Garou, delivering a barrage of strikes. However, since Garou had fully adjusted to Golden Ball's golden balls, each and every punch was wasted through Garou's minimal movements.

"D-Dammit, why can't I hit you?" Syura shouted as he tried to corner him to the wall. He stepped forward and sideward to block Garou's exit point and tried to kick Garou with his knee. A sudden pain stabbed Syura's forehead as his body flew to the garbage bags nearby.

"Was that all you've got? It seemed to me that even if you're serious, you still look like you're just playing around. You're basically an amateur if you can't even hit your opponent!" Garou taunted with a middle finger. Syura's expression turned increasingly furious as he stood from the rubble. He took another stance once more.

"Fucker, fight me." He said with bloodshot eyes. "I'll show you how powerful I am."

Garou took the offensive as he first went towards the stationary man. Syura chuckled. "Take this!"

Syura exchanged the positions of his arms and legs. He was now standing on two hands.

He twisted his hips as he attempted to kick Garou's head. The momentum from his leap should work against him as the kick strikes him with double the force. "Now, let's see how strong you-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, Garou kneed Syura's head, sending him floating in midair.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to breakdance? Don't make me laugh, asshole!" Garou shouted with a smile as he released his own barrage of punches to Syura's torso, which was directly above Garou.

Syura's battered body flew towards a nearby building's rooftop thanks to the impact of Garou's punches.

"I…can't take him on." He finally said as he basically dragged his body away from the back alleys. Unfortunately, that wouldn't work on a hero hunter.

A dark figure landed on top of a water tank nearby. The moon shined brightly, casting the shadow of the dark entity on the beaten child of the Prime Minister of another world.

"I-I was supposed to be the…ruler of this new world…" he uttered as blood dripped from the edges of his mouth.

"Sorry, but I'm the ultimate monster. As long as I exist, humanity will unite their hearts to defeat my absolute evil. You fucking cheater won't survive this place any longer."

Syura bit his lower lip. The pressure from the human monster multiplied ten-fold. He was struck by immense fear that never existed before. Although it's a bit similar to General Esdeath's, it's also different. The fear he incited was not a fear that threatened your life. Instead, it was a fear that attacks one's anxiety with terrible tenacity. Even so, Syura's pride was still not shattered. After all, he had _that._ "Then why don't you come down and kill me, fucker?"

"You're really rushing your life, aren't you?" Garou snickered as he leaped towards Syura for the final assault.

"YOU DON'T LEARN, DO YOU?" Syura shouted with a grin from ear to ear as he used every ounce of his strength to use Shambhala once more. "I'M SENDING YOU TO A FUCKING VOLCANO, BASTARD"

Garou's grin never faded. He expected another trick or two from him. Not only has he gotten used to Syura's mindset, but he's already considered every possibility before he even decided to act. After all…

"I'm a prodigy" Garou said as he chopped off Syura's arm, which tightly held Shambhala, and caught it midair.

An overwhelming sense of shock prevailed on Syura's face as he slowly turned his head to look at the man who tore off his arm. "M-My arm!"

"This? It's useless." Garou threw the arm to the back alleys. "It's been fun, but you're worthless now. You can't even be food to make my monstrosity grow. Honestly, I would have been more excited if you were an A-class hero."

Syura looked at his tormentor as veins began to pop on his face. His forehead wrinkled in anger as he shouted ferociously in an attempt to strike down the human monster.

"So this is the last stand of the backstreet wizard!" Garou cackled. Garou assumed one last stance as a finale. This stance was reminiscent of his teacher's, as one is reminded of the capability of water to flow harmoniously in peace yet it could also pierce rocks just as ferociously. **Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.**

A furious barrage of strikes attacked the one-armed Syura as bruises began to cover his body bit by bit. A final kick sent him to the rubbish below, bleeding profusely and unconscious.

"That's what happens to those who deem themselves an absolute evil even though they're not strong enough. You should stick to breakdancing, idiot."

Garou said as he dropped from the building and walked away from the morbid scene. At long last, Syura's delusional rampage was stopped by another delusional rampage.


	12. Emperor's New Home

"Hwah" Syura shouted as he awoke from his forced slumber. The young man blinked a couple times as he tried to clear his blurred vision. He coughed violently and felt pain ripple throughout his bandaged body, especially the stump that was his arm. "Argh, what the hell happened?"

He raised his body from the clean white sheets of his bed. Although he took his time to adjust to the torment that is his injuries, he had noticed himself in some sort of treatment facility. The plain white paint was easy to his eyes, and the smell of sanitizers greeted his sense of smell, likely to kill bacteria that might cause infections and disease. There were also several tubes directly connected to his arms with some kind of fluid. In fact, he was almost convinced that the world had alchemy like his own world, except something was…different. It seemed all too practical and grounded to be alchemy. The room was almost entirely bereft of decorations, save for a modest potted plant near the doorway and a television set directly in front of his bed. However, there were no windows that connected him to the outside world. The room was only lit by the generic light of a fluorescent lamp. The door itself seemed to be made of quality materials. The more he looked at the room, the more it seemed that it was a special facility for prisoners like him.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he plugged out the tubes from his body, except for one that seemed to connect to his urethra.

"Good Morning." A female voice said from nowhere. Syura looked around him, seeking the origin of the voice. There was no person, but he knew for sure that it just _had_ to be those magical boards they call _televisions_. He stayed silent.

"You might be wondering how you got here." The voice uttered. The black screen of the television turned static. "Although I think you have an idea why."

Syura still remained silent. He wasn't going to listen or anything like that. He simply wanted to ignore the messages. He went straight to the metal door and felt it with his hand. "Hmm, this looks tough."

The voice cleared her throat, as if dismissing Syura's plans to escape like it was impossible. "We have no idea what your name might be, but the Association decided to give you a criminal name for starters. We have named you **White Tan** due to your white hair and dark tan that seemingly juxtaposes visually."

Syura's right eye twitched. So much so that he could not contain himself, despite the pain of talking due to his injuries. "WHITE FUCKING TAN? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?"

"We believe you have no right to complain." The voice said coldly, which drew Syura back. "Your record includes the murder of 27 policemen, 25 members of a gang, 12 random bystanders, 17 C-class heroes, 8 B-class heroes, and 2 A-class heroes. You were also the culprit for the rape of 13 ladies, 6 of which were killed while the rest are currently mentally unstable. Last but not the least, you are responsible for the disappearance of one civilian, one B-class hero, 8 A-class heroes, and 2 S-class heroes." The voice said in such a matter-of-fact way. Despite the macabre acts of his, however, Syura could only smile in return.

"Woah, that's a new record right there!" He said giddily like a child who had reached the high score in an arcade game. "I didn't realize how many I've done in before. Never really cared about it. But this is a whole new level. I should keep going!"

A sigh was produced through the TV speakers. "Of course you're a nutjob, like the others. The Hero Association was deciding if we should put you under the Disaster Level threat Demon or the bounty of an A-class Criminal. It seems we have to go with the latter. Anyways, although this is a complete embarrassment to the Hero Association, we would give our gratitude to the Hero Hunter for stopping your rampage, despite his own rampage."

At the mention of the Hero Hunter, Syura's smile was wiped off his face. "Wait, Hero Hunter? That guy?"

"Do you not know him?" the voice said. "If not, then we will show footage of how he defeated you".

The static of the television turned clearer as it showed the perspective of the security cameras around the area. Syura watched the entire battle (or if you will, beating) while clenching his fist in anger. He could easily see his own movements, which were, as he'd call it, a perfect martial art from his travels. However, Garou's movements were blurred thanks to his speed. That was not the only aspect the human monster was supposedly superior in. Garou's techniques were incredibly graceful and showed complete mastery. His movements turned his own martial art imperfect as he saw Garou easily dodge and counter each and every attack he did. In the end, the Hero Hunter used an incredible martial art so advanced that throughout his travels; Syura had never seen such majesty. It was a perfect blend of offense and defense, and the reason his body felt so tortured.

"That bastard…" Syura grit his teeth as he went towards the door in an attempt to bust it open.

"Do not attempt." The voice said. "We will no longer spend any more time. He is coming."

"He?" Syura turned to the television set. "I doubt you have any soldiers you could send here to defeat me." After all, he was very sure he has disposed the strongest heroes that he found. The Demon Cyborg was perhaps so powerful that there would be an uproar if he were to exist in his world. The old man was also an incredible fighter that he could not defeat if he didn't teleport him in secret. And he wasn't even talking of the baldy yet.

"You'll see." The voice said in a serious manner. "We know you are not from this world, thanks to Metal Knight's research on your…weapon. We are giving you now the choice to cooperate in giving us knowledge about your world. We wish to know your world's systems, economics, language, and everything else."

Syura clicked his tongue. "And if I don't?"

"It's simple. You'll be sent to jail as a prisoner."

Syura hated this. If they were going to make him spit out all information about his world, then what's the difference between that and prison? He knows that this world is incredibly lax compared to his previous world, and as such, they wouldn't go all the way to torture.

"Surprise me." He smiled mischievously.

The voice paused. "Is that your final answer?"

"Yep. I'm sure of it." Syura punched the television as he prepared to punch through the door. "I could take down all of you lot. Just watch me." He said as he formed a stance and aimed at the door.

It wasn't long before a tremor was felt.

"What was that?" Syura said as he heightened his hearing. The cracking of concrete and tearing of metal was heard.

"A danger beast? This may be my chance to escape…" Syura thought as he prepared himself. He aimed his stance to the door. "If my hearing is correct, the Danger Beast should be coming from the hallways. If that's the case, then I simply need to wait for it to tear through the door, and _then_ kill him in one fell swoop. That's just a perfect idea!"

However, if it truly was a monster or a danger beast, there should have been chaos between the staff of the medical institute. Instead…

"Please reconsider, this is a medical facility for health! You cannot just barge in!"

"Ah, but I heard of rumors that a cutie entered just the other day! They even said that he's a prisoner and that he should be okay by now"

"Argh, but don't you have any mercy? He had just slightly recovered, but it's best for him to heal up more!"

"Well, that's true… Oh, why not have him recover at my place!"

"D-Dammit, wait just a moment!"

Now, one must think that the Hero Association Health Facilities are designed foolishly for having walls that observe information promiscuity to such prisoners, but it was in fact intended. These walls were supposedly soundproof from the outside alone, since the walls are perfectly lined with microphones to record every single data in the room. The prisoners could hear the outside if they listened, but it was also a psychological tactic to incite anxiety and fear within the prisoner's minds.

It's unfortunate that such a property of the health facility won't be used, as **he** has arrived.

The metal door rang with a dull sound as massive fingers pierced through it. Syura tensed.

"I've seen worse." He says, but he still prepared for an attack that would give his all.

The damaged metal door began to wrinkle as the monstrosity behind the door clenched its palm to a ball of fist. Casually, the man ripped the heavy door out of its hinges and towards the opposite wall. Syura's forehead creased as he tried to deliver a kick to the man through his own unique martial arts.

"Got him" Syura said with a smug smile as he twisted his hips for another kick while he held his body vertically by carrying his weight through his arms on the floor.

"…" Syura suddenly couldn't move his legs. An iron grip had held his leg in its place. "What in the world?!"

"Hoh, a good discovery!" a voice shouted as Syura began to feel lighter. No, was he floating in mid-air? No! He was being held up by the sheer strength of the monster's arm.

"It's alright. I'm here, and I'll protect you until you're all better." The voice assured. "The boys back home would be overjoyed."

"D-Damn, just what are you?" Syura tried to punch Puri Puri Prisoner's body. It's unfortunate that the man's arm was longer than Syura's reach.

"Ah, are you asking for my name?" The man said in a way that you could know that he was blushing. "Now, now, you're just too aggressive…"

"The name is Puri Puri Prisoner~ And we'll have a big happy family back at our home~"

000

"Uhm, what are you doing here?" the Caped Baldy asked. After arriving from his daily excursions to find favorable deals, it would seem that the sun had set. However, what surprised him was not the natural cycle of the Earth's rotation, but the presence of a beautiful golden haired girl with cheeks flushed from alcohol. "Get out. You reek of alcohol."

"Oh come on~" the bestial girl says as she drank a glass of water. "Aren't you glad that such a beautiful girl is hanging out at your place~"

Saitama deadpanned. It's not as if he isn't attracted to girls. It's just that she's a really far acquaintance, which reminded him of the black haired psychic back at his previous world.

"Oh, what's that?" Saitama pointed to the brown glass bottle Leone held on her right palm. She slyly concealed the bottle from view by lowering it below the table's surface. It's unfortunate that the hero's eyes were second to none in vision.

"I'm surprised you saw it." Leone chuckled as she raised the bottle to full view in a matter similar to a child who had her secret found. "There was a guy who owed me cash the other day. Well, he was waaaay off the deadline so I threatened to beat him up. Well, he paid me today **and** he included this bad boy." She gleamed as she brandished the bottle through the air. " **This** "

Saitama gazed at the bottle. "Hmm, alcohol?"

Leone clicked her tongue and shook her finger. "Not _just_ alcohol, my dear. It's high end wine form artin grapes and it's aged no less than a century **in** the **bottom** of the sea!"

She looked at it once more and placed it close to her heart. "Oh, and it's well known for the pleasant kick it gives to those who drink it. God, I love this."

"Hey, man. I don't want some drunk woman barfing on my floor. If you're going to drink that, you'll have to leave." Saitama said with a creased forehead. It was an understandable alibi from the hero's part. If it happens that her tolerance is low, not only would there be a mess that would be a pain to clean up, but the pungent acidic smell that lingers afterwards is pure torment. The small area of the house only adds to Saitama's concern.

Leone laughed. "What are you talking about, Saitama? Do you really think I'm someone who can't contain this much alcohol? You're talking to the girl who could basically drink the whole day away, you know."

Saitama scratched his cheek. "Well, you do have a point, but still…"

"So, what are you doing here?" Genos said bluntly, making Leone twitch for a while.

"Geez, why are you so harsh, Genos?" she pouted as she glanced to the blond. "Even if we were together for a short time, don't you think we've become even a little bit closer?"

"I am grateful that your group had provided my Master shelter" Genos nodded as he turned to her, "however, if you are going to stay in Master's place against his wish, then I shall not tolerate it."

Leone laid her chin on the table while her pout remained. "Well, we _did_ give conditions for allowing you to live normally, right? We need only to monitor each and every one of your actions so that there would be no information leaking to the Empire. It's not that bad, right?"

"Yep, that's bad alright." Saitama said as he thought of his routine shopping and monster killing getting disrupted by the blonde.

"If that was the case, then we should have escaped without your consent." Genos said.

She chuckled. "Well, we could have had you guys tracked down. I'm confident of the rebel army's intel, you know?"

Saitama glanced at the supposed caretaker of their land. She entered the room swiftly and gracefully with actions honed by years of hard work at inns and restaurants. Honestly, she seemed not just a caretaker but more of a maid of an aristocrat. "Well, I guess your confidence is not unfounded."

"Hoh, if it isn't Kumi-chan~" Leone waved briskly as she flashed her pearly whites. "How's the mission?"

"Hwah, Leone~" Kumi said as she ran towards the older sister figure. The blonde opened her arms as she awaited her companion's arrival. The two embraced each other tightly like long lost siblings.

"It was sooo difficult~" Kumi pouted as Leone patted her hair gently. "Handling two men, all alone~"

"Now, now" Leone broke off the embrace and held Kumi's shoulders as she looked her straight in the eyes. "Were they rough with you?"

As the two engaged in such conversation, the two heroes silently witnessed them with expressions of annoyance. The master elbowed his disciple subtly as an atmosphere of annoyance arose from the two. "Genos…"

"Yes, Master?"

"I think they're having too much fun on their own. Maybe we should let them catch up for a bit while we go outside." Saitama pointed his thumb to the general direction of the exit.

Genos nodded. "Understood."

The disciple gladly opened the door for his Master with a gesture befitting his loyalty and enthusiasm to learn. However, a wall of muscle seemed to block their path.

"How dare y-" Before Genos could complete his sentence, he noticed the identity of the man in front of them. Although the figure had a brown cloth that proficiently disguised their profiles, the man had pulled his hood downward to reveal spiky blond hair and bronzed skin along with a stern face.

"I've finally found you, Saitama." The man completely ignored the cyborg as his eyes met the blank abyss that is Saitama's eyes. "It's been difficult trying to find you; to think that you would be living in the depth of the Danger Beast infested forests… I suppose I should have expected that.

Meanwhile, a chill reigned upon the Night Raid member's spine. "Budo…" She uttered in an undertone. Kumi, who stood beside her senior, looked at Leone from the corners of her eyes. Leone was clenching her seat. She grit her teeth and snarled like a wild animal. As if that wasn't enough, her eyes also seemed very alert. Despite having her Imperial Relic not active, it would seem as if she was still under the influence of the Danger Beast within it. "This is bad. No matter what I do, I'm still on the edge."

"Leone…" Kumi uttered. Her face has returned from a state of bliss previously to her more usual serious demeanor. "Please hold your urges. If you make any wrong decision, there'd be hell to pay."

"But I couldn't help it" the blonde's words seeped through her teeth, still grinding together, as she snarled at her junior. "This guy's part of the top two, Kumi-chan. Even without my instincts, common sense tells me he's pretty damn powerful. There's no place for being unprepared!"

"But you risk getting found out!" Kumi bent down and whispered to Leone's ears. "Please contain yourself! There must be a way to calm your nerves and help you relax"

As she said those words, Kumi's attention trailed to the stained glass bottle filled with high end wine, no younger than a century, brewed from artin grapes and aged in the **bottom** of the sea. "I think I may have an idea…"

"Hoh" the general of lightning noticed the two suspicious girls from behind the two heroes. He glared at them with his keen eyes squinting towards them. Leone met the general's eyes and wanted to glare them down as well. It was as if two predators were facing each other before a small piece of meat.

"Tsk, looks like I'll have to lose this one!" Leone smirked while keeping her forehead creased. She took the bottle of precious wine and completely tilted it upside down, downing the contents of the glass container to her throat in one swift gulp. Kumi looked at her senior with both awe and concern as Leone did the impressive feat that would probably put to sleep a grown man. Probably.

She slammed her bottle to the wooden table and raised her fists triumphantly as if she won a war or something. "Alriiiiiight~"

"Now, who the hell do you think you are, Great. General. Budo?!" The girl stood up and puffed her chest as she pointed to the tall blond. "Just because you're so tall and bulky and tough doesn't mean I can't take you on in a brawl, stuuuuuuupid"

Kumi's eyes widened as she stepped back, surprised. "She's…she's too drunk…At this rate, our cover will be blown to smithereens!"

The soldier's brows twitched as he looked at woman with his head held high. "Hoh, you're not even twitching, Man, you're so strong!" the woman continued as she punched Budo's armor lightly. "Say, say, why don't you fall in love with this busty lady for a while, eh?"

"Tsk, this girl…reeks of alcohol." The soldier shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Leone, whose face was flushed red, looked at Budo with annoyance in her eyes before playfully slamming his armor with her closed hands. "Just what the hell do you mean by that? Are you even a man? I'm perfectly fine, you know? In fact, I have a following of men who want to court me back at the slums."

"Saitama." Budo ignored the bestial lady's drunken rant and turned to the hero. "I had expected that you have women at your living quarters. Actually, I expected much more, since that would fit your immense strength. However, I'm disappointed that you would choose the _rougher_ women from the slums."

"What are you talking about?" Saitama wore an irritated expression in spite of the smile present on his face. "First off, I did not choose her. She forced her way in, so I'm going to ask her to leave later."

"How rude!" she shouted as she slammed her palms to the table. "I even went out of my way to visit you guys too" She blew a raspberry to the caped baldy before puffing her cheeks and turning her head away. "I only came here because I was worried you didn't fit in, idiots"

"You…how dare you call Master an idiot!" the disciple snarled back.

"I don't really care, Genos." Saitama said with his trademark deadpan face. "And second, it isn't what you think. We're acquaintances."

"Acquaintances?" Budo glanced once again at the drunken lady.

"Why is this guy so interested?" Saitama thought as a bullet of sweat raced down his barren head. "Yeah, we… lived in an apartment, I guess. Well, technically it's more of one house, so she's like a housemate."

"I see. If you desire to remain without any interests in romance and procreation, then I'm not one to judge." Budo nodded.

"Seriously, what the hell is up with this guy?" Saitama responded with a smile that turned more awkward when his thoughts popped up. "So, what do you want?"

The Great General looked around the room with scrutinizing eyes. He went through the mediocre setting like an inspector in a murder case, although it seemed very absurd to the eyes of everyone. His attention switched from the incredibly average house to the people within it. There was no need to examine the two heroes, as he was sure they wouldn't do anything. And if they did want to do something suspicious, how could he stop it? He went and glanced at the blonde drunkard, whom was doing her best to not doze off due to her current state. It looks as if she was head banging the wooden table, only stopping a mere centimeter away.

"She can't be suspicious" Budo said to himself, although he thought he should still be alert if otherwise. The only person left in the room who wasn't examined yet was the so-called caretaker of the land: the vermillion-haired girl, Kumi.

Budo began to walk towards her.

"W-Woah, is it me, or does he look bigger than I expected!" Kumi thought as the General approached her. "No, it's not that he's physically bigger. It's that his aura is growing. He's intimidating me!"

Indeed, Budo's reputation, his stature, and his skill combine to make him seem greater than life. With that, Kumi's desire to assassinate him skyrocketed. Of all her missions ordered by the Rebel army, this was by far the most challenging.

She gritted her teeth and consciously bit her tongue in an attempt to remove any expressions of hostility on her face. However, that wasn't enough to control her bodily actions. She kept her hands behind her, since her hands were beginning to itch for a weapon to grasp. Her leg muscles were twitching since she wanted to immediately lunge forward and impale the General's heart and eliminate such a high profile target for all at once. The Empire could be shaken with what she would do at that evening. She thought all these as she plastered a fake smile towards him. The General stopped and towered over the girl with his keen eyesight scanning her.

"Oi, Ku-mi-chan~" a familiar arm was laid on her shoulder. "Don't just let this guy seduce your or…something."

She sniffed the bestial lady's breath. "You reek!" she said as she pinched her nose. "You should take care of yourself, you-"

Budo heaved a sigh and went to the center of the room. "So, who's the other one?" Genos uttered.

"How did you-"

"My sensors picked up two biological life forms. You seemed to have greater vitals and stature, while the other is…fragile and weak. It's almost as if it was just a child"

"Well, you are partially correct." He nodded. "…Although, I wouldn't call him _just_ a child."

"What do you mean?" Genos said. Budo ignored Genos and went to the front door once more before kneeling and twisting the knob. "Behold, his Greatness, the Emper-… Otho."

"What was that pause?" Saitama thought as a hooded figure entered the small cottage. Although the figure had a worn cloak that had seen better years, a glimpse within it would show immensely soft cloth glowing vibrantly with a purple color and made with quality materials. He was clad in an ensemble of long sleeved shirt topped with a jabot, a white belt with a golden buckle, shorts and high ankle socks befitting the person's age.

The figure pulled back his hood, revealing a very young, pale face with light green silk smooth hair flowing from his scalp to the base of his neck. At that point, a pair of serious dark green eyes met the blank black eyes of the hero.

"Hello, Saitama." The Emperor said with the stern formality expected from a ruler. "For now, I go with the name of Otho. I do not wish to waste any time, so I'll need to get straight to the point." The emperor swallowed.

"Do you think I'm an effective leader?"

Saitama went silent. Genos was bursting at the seams. It would all make sense that the boy is not knowledgeable with his own reign of terror. After all, he was sheltered so much from the outside world that it's completely believable that it's his first time to be outside the walls of the Imperial Palace. "Now, how would Master Saitama answer?" Genos thought as he enthusiastically reached for the back pocket of his pants and pulled a small notebook and a pen.

Saitama pinched his chin and seemed to be in thought for a moment, as he bowed his head in silence.

"You…look familiar." Saitama said with a serious expression. It immediately returned to his nonchalant deadpan face, however. "Have we met before?"

"N-No way." A sense of irritation permeated the Emperor's face. "H-How do you not recognize me?"

"I'm sorry for having a weak memory, alright?" Saitama said as he closed his eyes in an attempt to know him. "I think I saw you with Budo sometime ago… Ah!" He slammed his fist to his palm. "You're his kid, aren't you?"

"I am the Emperor you may call _Otho_ , the one Budo, Honest, Esdeath, and the others serve! What's up with you?!" The Emperor finally shouted. He suddenly paused and held his chest as he realized something. "this… is the first time I've done something like this…"

"Hey kid, I'm really sorry." Saitama went to the table and sat adjacent to the drunk blonde's seat. "You can't blame me; you're too young to look like it."

"There you go again!" The Emperor pulled a seat directly across Leone and sat with the elegance of a king. "Why…Just why do you bring these… _nonsensical_ concepts around?"

"What are you talking about?" Saitama raised his brow. As he realized his unexpected guest was simply staring blankly at him, he began to stand up. "Oh, I almost forgot to make some tea. Wait here."

"No, Master." Genos said as he immediately went to the kitchen. "I shall handle this." He said, as if he was on a dangerous mission.

"Oh, thanks." Saitama said as he sat again. "You were saying?"

The Emperor sighed. "You spoke about licenses before."

"I don't really remember much, though. Could you clear it up a little?" Saitama scratched his cheek. Later on, the Demon Cyborg returned with two cups of hot tea placed them on the table. "Oh, thanks Genos!"

"You said that someone needs to reach a certain age to achieve what you call a _driver's license_. What does that mean, Saitama."

Saitama took a sip from his cup and looked at the Emperor. "Yep, it means exactly what it means. I think it's 18? No, wait, is it 16? I haven't a clue, actually. I don't have a car; it's too expensive."

"I don't mean _that_." The Emperor slammed his palm to the table, waking the nearby Leone. "Hueh" she said as saliva dripped from the edge of her mouth. "I get you're trying to compare the title of Emperor to having this so-called _driver's license,_ but people don't need to have an age limit to be a good Emperor. There's a reason why I have a council of advisers, you know?"

"Oh?" Saitama hummed. "I don't really know much of politics, but could I ask you some questions?"

"Permission Granted." Otho said.

"Alright…" Saitama's gaze travelled through the room as he tried to think of a question. "Do you know what taxes are?"

"Of course I do!" Otho shouted gleefully. "They're funds obtained from a percentage of the daily transactions of the people in the Capital, right? My advisers taught me perfectly."

"Then, how do you think the people get those funds?"

"Why, they work of course!" the Emperor crossed his arms. "My advisors said they were capable of doing several jobs concerned with agriculture, mining, medicine, alchemy, smithing, and several others."

"Hoh, you know your thing" Saitama smirked.

"Of course, I do. Aren't I a great leader?" Otho beat his chest with pride.

"Nah, it's too early for that yet." Saitama took another sip. "So… what would you do if they don't?"

"Ah, that's easy!" the Emperor said with the same enthusiasm as his earlier answers. "You have them hanged, drawn, and quartered, of course!"

"…What?" Saitama said with a concerned expression.

"Well, it depends sometimes." Otho closed his eyes and pinched his chin while recalling of what to do in such a situation. "If it was a family, we would either have the breadwinner of the family crucified in the Capital's plaza, or we could take the youngest member and pluck off each finger from their right hand starting with the fingernails."

Saitama clicked his tongue and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait a minute, let me get this straight. If they don't pay you, you torture them?"

"Correct." Otho said nonchalantly. "It's their fault they couldn't pay up in the deadline. The Prime Minister said they were probably just slacking off and keeping the money themselves."

"Yeah… no wonder people get angry at you." Saitama said with a creased forehead.

"What are you talking about? I am the **Emperor**. Of course, I am well liked!" He boasted as he puffed out his chest.

"Who told you that?"

"Prime Minister Honest said so." At the mention of these words, the bestial beauty stood up in her drunken glory and clenched her fist. She raised her thumb and inverted her fist. "Boo~ We don't like youuuuu, so go home already~" she shouted groggily.

"Insolent fool!" Budo shouted to the drunkard as he prevented himself from standing and lecturing the woman.

"I'm afraid I'll have to say so myself. I dislike you as well." Kumi raised her hand with a blank face. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but that is the truth."

"And you?" The Emperor turned to the demon cyborg, who looked back with a neutral face. "I cannot say. Whatever is my Master's stance is my stance as well."

"I d-" Saitama's words were abruptly cut by the image of the Emperor desperately hiding his eyes, which were already moistened with tears. "I…I don't dislike you, I guess."

"A-Are you sure?" the Emperor bowed his head and wiped his eyes with his robes.

"Woah woah woah, are you okay?" Saitama said as he stood up and held the child by his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

"It's fine, really." He said as he shook his head. "It's just… I expected that the rumors about me being a weak leader were just from those weird people I sentenced for their crimes."

Saitama sighed as he patted the Emperor's slender back, although it was certainly awkward and rather mechanical. "You're trying to make it sound less cruel than it really is, aren't you? Well, you're still a kid though. You shouldn't really care about these kinds of things."

"Yeah, like **you** would know." The boy pouted. "You wouldn't know what it's like to have so much responsibility entrusted to you."

"Yep, I have no clue." Saitama stood with a smirk on his face as he glanced down the child. "I'm just a professional hero, after all. What matters is I do my job as one, though it does get a bit tough."

The Emperor gazed at the Hero's subtle smile. It seemed… very comforting and dependable, despite the comical situation that is Saitama staring at him with his mouth only slightly open. Perhaps he could include him as part of his council of advisers? Perhaps he could stay there in anonymity and live for a while to learn from him? One thing was for sure: this man is truly interesting.

"Then…" Otho stood. "This might be a bit sudden, and I may be an emperor, but…"

"Hmm?"

"Could you teach me what I should do, teacher?"

"…"

The room was silent. The cyborg's writings had stopped.


	13. S-class

**Hello Everyone! This is Wayne Grant speaking. Boy, a lot of favorites and story alerts for this fanfic, eh? Thank you sooooo much. I'm sorry for being gone for a while. I was reaaaaaally busy for college, and believe me I won't be as active in the next few months or years. I really want to finish this story, and I think I will eventually, but it will take a while to get to the climax of the story (which I'm building up right now). Nevertheless, I'm releasing this chapter early because I already worked on it and I needed to make this author note as an explanation and apology. I do hope you forgive me for the next chapters. Your reviews ended up being my favorite part of the journey, and I do hope for even more reviews on this one, despite there having less action. Anyways, here it is~**

 **000**

The cool breeze of the wind flowed through the night sky and combed the grass and the leaves. Amidst the darkness of the forest, a small but unwavering light shone brightly in the clearing. The moon's gentle glare gloriously rained upon all the Earth, and struck a familiar reflective surface. Throughout nature, many substances have the ability to reflect light perfectly. This was what alchemists called _luster_. Examples of such objects with the property include: a few minerals, water in any state or form, and the smooth surface of some fruits. However, it is most unusual for the solemn light of a celestial body to be reflected off of the head of caped hero. Perhaps it is a miracle. Perhaps it might even be a curse. But in all aspects, there is only one truth:

 **It's weird as hell**

The hero known as Caped Baldy exited his home with heavy steps. He placed his fists, his favored weapons, to his chiseled hips and gazed at the night sky. He heaved his breath and grunted.

"Ugh, what is going on?" he asked himself as he lowered his head and held his face with his palm.

"One disciple is enough. Why do **I** have to be that kid's teacher, anyway? This is far from my occupation as a hero, dammit" he said to no one in particular as he removed his palm, revealing a crumpled forehead to an otherwise completely blank expression. "Plus, I can't even shove the kid away since he's supposedly the emperor. With one order, he could probably be a pain in the ass in the future."

"Is there a problem?" A deep voice said behind him. The hero turned backwards to see the Great General of the Empire exiting his humble abode.

"Yeah, there is." Saitama said nonchalantly. "And I have to solve it while Genos is evaluating him or something."

Budo nodded. "Hmph, I am not sorry for being a disturbance, since he _is_ our Emperor. However, I'm telling you that you need to live up to the Emperor's standards to benefit the Empire."

Saitama sighed. He didn't want to be involved with the Empire and the Revolutionary army, but it seems he keeps being pulled into it like a magnet attracted to steel. Now, he's got himself in between a rock and a hard place.

"I know that. The question is: what does he expect? I have no idea if being a hero and being an emperor is related at all. I even doubt if he knows how to be a kid."

"As a soldier acting as a simple guard of Otho, I do not have the right to interfere with what his teacher will do." Budo said in a stern manner. "Please refrain from asking me those sorts of questions."

"Oh." Saitama said as he once again stared at the star studded sky. "Ah, forget it. It'll come eventually."

"Master!" his loyal disciple's voice broke the silence of the forest. The door opened to reveal the cyborg with large cybernetic arms and an individual bordering between teenaged and child.

"What'd you find?" Saitama said. The Emperor crossed his arms and flashed a smug smile. Genos took his notebook and flipped a few pages before eventually coming to a stop.

"After a simple evaluation of his intelligence, I would conclude that the Emperor truly has intelligence greater than the average child in this world."

"Of course I have." Otho nodded. "Honest made sure I get the highest form of education fit for my status as leader. To prepare myself for the future, I had to study everything about the Empire!"

"Everything?" Saitama muttered.

"Yeah! Right now, I'm learning its history, flora, fauna, political and economic structure, as well as the territories within and beyond the Empire's borders. Such is my sacrifice for the benefit of my people."

Saitama grunted as he boringly stared at the air above him. The talk had reminded him of his past life as a student. He was completely average, sometimes below, but what made him so disinterested was how lifeless and monotonous it was. "I don't really care about educational attainment. Can we skip that part?"

"I'm sorry, master." Genos bowed apologetically. "But it was useful."

"Oh?"

Genos lowered his head. "It would seem that that's all the Emperor is knowledgeable about."

"Eh? But… I don't get this."

"He is intelligent for his age, and he does have enough social skills to spark conversations. However, he lacks the ability to feel what others feel… he lacks empathy."

"Empathy, huh." Saitama held his chin. "How'd you know?"

"I asked him a few questions and told him to answer as honest as possible. Specifically, it involved situations with his peers."

"So?"

Genos' forehead crumpled as he paused. "He… ended up answering with various methods of torture."

A drop of perspiration rolled from Saitama's temples. "He… what?"

"I did not expect someone of his age would have so much information. Moreover, he knows the cruel laws so much that he has figured out the details of the torture, from the most painful to the most graphic."

"Alright, time out." Saitama raised his hand, with his palm facing Genos. "I don't need to know that."

Saitama slammed his fist down to his hand. "So basically, you're saying that the kid's messed up, huh?"

Saitama's words began to trail off to a yawn. "Well, it's been a long night, so you've got to go."

"Huh? But I haven't learned anything yet!" Otho responded.

Saitama hummed. "You don't expect to learn just from meeting me once, do you?" he said, taking the Emperor and Budo aback. They still weren't used to the thought of someone answering the Emperor back. However, fortunately, they did not bite back.

"For now, please raise your hood, Otho." Budo said as he raised his own hood and walked forward. The Emperor did as he was told and skipped a few steps before turning to his new mentor.

"I will await more of your lessons. You better not disappoint me tomorrow!" He said with a mouth so subtly curled you wouldn't notice it.

The Master and his disciple watched on as the two guests exited their grounds. The bald one sighed.

"What a pain." He scratched his head and made his way to his home's entrance.

"Master" The disciple called out.

"What is it, Genos?" Saitama stopped his progress and looked at Genos over his shoulder. "That was tiring, huh."

Genos looked down on his feet before meeting Saitama's gaze. "What are your plans for that child?"

Saitama turned and pinched his chin and closed his eyes. "To be honest with you, this isn't really my area of expertise. You're diligent enough to be taught, but a kid? I don't know." Saitama said. _Although I really don't want to teach this kid._

Then, an idea struck Saitama's mind. His lips slowly curled as a more serious expression replaced his bland expression on his face.

 _Heh. I got it._

"Genos"

"Yes, Master!" the cyborg replied attentively.

"As your master, I know I have given you the assignment of reaching the Top 10 of the S-class. Is that going well?"

Genos swallowed. "Since I've started my journey, I have overtaken Tanktop Master, Metal Bat, and Puri-Puri Prisoner. Right now, I have eached the 14th rank. I still have a long way to go, Master."

"It's good that you know your goals well." Saitama nodded. "But, since the Hero Association isn't here right now, I suggest you follow a new goal."

"Indeed." Genos tensed his shoulders. "Lately, I have felt that I am not making any progress as a hero. That is why I have thought of using these blades. I may not be advancing in terms of power, but it would certainly help."

"Oh, so that's why you decided to use them." Saitama said nonchalantly. "Anyways, I'm giving you a side goal for now."

"What would that be, Master."

Saitama smirked. "As the upperclassman, would you mind helping me teach that kid?"

Genos' face, usually so cool, calm, and composed, turned estatic. He hadn't realized it before since the rapid turn of events had surprised him as well, but he knew that he actually has a subordinate now. A kouhai.

And naturally, having an underclassman means he's not Saitama's only student anymore. "I see. Master is finally getting the recognition he deserves as a hero." He thought as he smirked. "Of course, Master!"

Saitama grinned rather maliciously. A burden has been lifted. "Thanks, Genos!" He gleefully said as he proceeded to the doorway, when a heavy step greeted him.

"Oi, where do you think you're going?" the blonde with blushed cheeks said.

"Uhm, I'm going home." Saitama said as if it was so very obvious, which it was.

Leone sighed. "Listen, how the hell did you come to know the Great General himself, as well as the Emperor himself!"

Saitama raised his gaze to the skies, then to the Earth, all with his mouth agape slightly. "I think they asked me to come to the palace or something. I don't remember much."

Genos looked at the woman, who stood as if she was sober. "You… weren't you drunk before Budo and Otho came?"

Leone clicked her tongue. "I still _am_ , thank you very much, even though I'm not really smashed. It takes much more than that to get me wasted enough to send me to the dream realm."

"I see. So it was an act?"

Leone hummed her tongue as she met the Demon Cyborg's gaze. "Not really. I had my reason to gulp down the wine bottoms up."

She raised her index finger and pointed to her Imperial Relic. "Basically, thanks to the wine, I dulled my senses, which are super sensitive by the way. If I didn't, I would have tried to assassinate both of them right then and there, or I could have broken through your window right away. In any case, it would be a huge problem for all of us."

"Do you not have any control over it?"

The blonde caressed her Relic so gently. "Well, I used to in the early days. Currently though, it's slowly influencing me to the point that I'm practically a part of it."

"Interesting…" Genos said as he boldly bent his hips and looked at the Imperial Arms at a closer distance.

"Hoh~ Are you interested, Ge-no-s~" Leone teased as a smug grin filled his face.

Genos retracted. " I still could not see how these weapons activate. It is far from Dr. Kuseno's machinery, and I do not think it is something that the House of Evolution would do."

"Eeeh? So serious…" Leone, disappointed at the hero, pouted. "You're no fun, Genos!"

The cyborg ignored her.

"Anyways, I'm going to report this to Boss."

"Alright." Saitama said as he entered his home. He took a comic from his shelf and opened it to a particular page. "Hoh, it's exactly the same as the one at home. Genos really _did_ remember them page by page"

"He… doesn't care?" Kumi muttered as both her and Leone looked with confusion.

"You're still there?" Saitama peeked from the edge of his comic book before returning to his reading. "I don't really care if you report it or something. Go ahead if you want to, I guess."

"So careless… " Kumi looked on at the bald hero with disgust. "Even when conversing with the enemy, you don't even show any hint of anger for our fallen comrades. Were you really part of Night Raid?"

"I told you, I'm not. I only lived with them for a short while… as a security guard." Saitama said with a disinterested tone. The maid looked at her superior, who raised her shoulders. "We couldn't change his mind to join us in the war against the Empire, so we thought the best bet was to have him guard HQ."

"In any case, I'm going now." Leone smiled as she waved goodbye to the group and their humble cottage.

"Oh, by the way" Leone stopped in the middle of her tracks and turned to Kumi. "Watch Saitama's words, okay? We don't want to get any secrets out, do we?" she said before running back to her own home.

"Y-Yes, big sis!" She shouted back. Whether Leone heard or not, only the goddess knows.

000

"Please take your seats." A voice rang throughout the room. A man with grayish light blond hair and a slightly bigger and rounder than average nose stood with authority behind a table long enough to cater 17 humans, likely more. He was none other than Sitch, the Minister Officer of Justice.

Two men accompanied Sitch, mainly: a bearded office worker and a bespectacled worker. The three men stood in neatly pressed suits, but Sitch seemed to hold the most authority of them.

The heavy metal doors of the Hero Association's base slid sidewards with such silence, revealing a group of humans proudly marching forward. You could say that the group was cool, or that it was odd. It was composed of thirteen eccentric individuals of various heights, body figures, and strengths.

All took their seats on the chairs surrounding the long conference table. The faint blue lights from the building's lighting fixtures as well as the technology present throughout the doors, walls, and even the table itself showed that the area's technological advancements compared to the medieval world where Saitama currently resided in.

"So? What's it about _this_ _time_?" A woman said as she rested her head on hand, while her elbow rested on the table. She was certainly one of the most eye-catching ones there. In the crowd of tall, massive men stood a woman who looked like she hadn't entered puberty yet. On top of that, her curly green locks of hair and her thin and high cut dress made sure she couldn't be **not** spotted. Despite all this, she was the Hero Association's most trusted hero. The hero "Tornado of terror", rank second amongst the S-class, hero of Psychic power, was bored. "If it's a monster, then you shouldn't have called the useless ones. I could handle it alone."

"Tsk, the damn brat talked again. When the hell will you shut up already? Even I can take a dragon or two!" a man with black hair styled to a pompadour said. He sat arrogantly, with his feet crossed on the table and one arm wrapped below his chair's back, making his posture lean back as well. An intimidating facial expression showed on his face, and he was clad with a gakuto above a red sweater, as well as hakama pants, which made him look like a delinquent highschooler. He was the rank 15th hero "Metal Bat".

As the two pro heroes began to bicker and throw insults at one another, a voice broke "You better start the meeting. If these two waste any more time thanks to their immaturity, I would prefer to leave the place". The man had long light bond hair and a thin frame that makes him look like a beautiful guy. Clad in a flowing white cape, he is arguably the fastest hero in the Association, so much so that it looks like he's moving at the speed of light every time he kills a monster. He is the hero ranked tenth, Flashy Flash.

There were certainly other heroes in the meeting. There was a hulking man with immensely chiseled physique that reflected the light off his skin brilliantly. He was the hero "Superalloy Darkshine", who was ranked eleventh.

There was also a hero that held his hair in a topknot and was clad in a cape _and_ a kimono. On his hips, there swayed two blades, with one with a magnificently carved hilt fit for his hero name. He was a man whose prowess in unsheathing his sword and slicing his enemies was known even in the world of sword fighting. Aged thirty seven, he is the hero "Atomic Samurai".

A munching sound can be heard from the room. It probably comes from the extremely obese man who constantly took a steamed pork bun from his paper bag and ate it whole as if it was bitesized. It was, in fact, large enough for a maximum of ten men to share. He is the hero "Pig God" of the rank of ten. Although Pig God's chewing of his food was an obvious noise present in the room, the more subtle sound of what seems like the beating of drums can be heard as well. This is, in fact, the restrained sound of reserved energy flowing through the veins of a particular individual.

Sitting amongst the S-class was a man who might as well be the most composed person in the meeting. And how could he _not_ be? He was a man whose strength is well respected by everyone, no matter if his rank is less than theirs. Even the prideful Tatsumaki considers him most trusted compared to her incompetent allies. Of course, this is thanks to his strength that completely overwhelms his enemies the moment they start a fight. Since no one has ever seen him fight, rumors say that he has immense energy powers as well as his strength, but since his strength alone completely dominates his enemies, those rumors remain as what they were to begin with. He was none other than the noble hero himself, " **KING** ", ranked seventh.

On the other hand, not every hero in the association were noble. There are, in fact, heroes that are actually incarcerated. Although the Hero Association gives them special leeway to act as heroes, they most often remain in jail behind bars until the emergency happens. Then, the Hero Association goes on and forces the police to temporarily allot freedom. However, that doesn't really happen when you're strong enough to break through metal reinforced walls casually. Simply put, there are prisoners who do outrageous criminal offenses, yet are still offered a spot in the Hero Association. He was one of them. He is "Puri Puri Prisoner" an S-class hero of the lowest rank of 17, and perhaps the most controversial one of all of them.

A child thought of how much the S-class heroes argue. Of course, it isn't really a good environment for a child to grow into. But he's an exception. As a prodigy at his age, he has worked under the leading engineer, Bofoi. He was the one named "Child Emperor", aged ten, ranked fifth.

Then, there was a hero of extreme eccentricity. For some reason, he chose a dog suit for a hero costume, while a blank expression showed on his face. In fact, it begs a question. Is he a human wearing a dog suit; is he a man hiding inside a real dog? Such a predicament has not been solved yet. He is the hero known as "Watchdog Man" with the rank of twelve.

Lastly, a silent hero sat on his chair and simply observed the rest. No dialogue escaped his system, except if you consider the sound of a silent engine as a language. Clouded in mystery, "Drive Knight" was his name, and his rank of ninth means he's no pushover.

Amongst them was a man of seemingly ordinary albeit chiseled physique. He had spiky black hair and wore a long beige coat. However, what made him stand out from an ordinary human were his pale skin and blood red eyes that would give anyone he met the chills. Ordinary yet different like a corpse, he was appropriately named "Zombieman" with the rank of eigth.

"Please stop bickering." Sitch calmly said. "We will now be starting the meeting, so please listen."

Although immature and hot blooded as they are, the heroes still know how to listen. The question is if they could _maintain_ this obedience.

"Now, I have gathered you S-class heroes here for the purpose of tackling the issue: the disappearance of heroes and civilians."

"Huh? Disappearance?" the titanic shining man of dark skin tone blurted out. The prisoner, who sat beside him with his chin resting on his hands, said "Haven't you heard, Darky? Somehow, people randomly began to fade from thin air a couple of days ago. Some of my boys were even gone. Gotta tell you how much the police tried to find them, tho!"

"Hoh, so that's the reason some of my old students were suddenly gone." The samurai said as he bit a typical grass stalk with his teeth. "A bunch of their loved ones were calling me before you called me. I guess we've got to find them then."

"Indeed, the Hero Association's Communications Desk has its hands full with people from all over the cities calling for their lost relatives and friends. You're correct that it's been going on for a few days now, and up until yesterday, we never had anyone to hold responsible for the ordeal."

"Hah?" The Association's ace said in her annoying tiny voice. "What do you mean there isn't a suspect? Then what the hell's the point of meeting up!"

"That's what we thought before yesterday came." Sitch said as he tapped on the technologically advanced table. A hologram of a tanned man in a hospital gown and without one arm levitated in front of them.

"Who's this guy?" Metal bat said with one of his brows raised. "I feel like I want to bust his head open." He commented once he saw the cocky face emanating from hologram.

The Bearded man began to talk. "This man mysteriously came and, based from the security camera footage, attacked many heroes and civilians alike. We named him White Tan, with the disaster level demon. Our records say he began his crimes around a week ago, and he is currently charged with several counts of murder, rape, and the disappearance of twelve individuals, eleven of which were heroes."

"Is that the reason why we're currently incomplete?" Child Emperor said as he held his lollipop.

The bespectacled worker hummed. "Not exactly. Some of the heroes below S-class were killed, but- Oh, let me just inform you about everyone who were suddenly gone without a trace."

The worker turned to the table and slid and tapped on the glass surface. After a few motions, a list of individuals, mostly heroes along with their ranks, hero names, and pictures, materialized as a hologram in the center of the table.

"Silver Fang? Last I heard, the old man was looking for his old student." Atomic Samurai, who thought of Bang as a respected elder, said.

"Is that so? We will have that noted." Sitch said as he began to feel a knot in his throat. He loosened his tie and coughed. "But we do have an idea on where Garou is. In fact, he's the one who defeated White Tan." Sitch flicked his wrists and tapped on the table once more. The security footage of Garou's beating on Syura was shown in its full glory to the S-class, who watched with disinterest.

Metal Bat clicked his tongue. "That's gotta hurt, but **I** should have done that."

"Could you even damage someone with something as blunt as a bat?" Flashy Flash remarked.

"What the hell did you say, you blond ass-"

"However, currently, Garou is once again missing. Although we would like to restrain him sometime, the public's outcry on White Tan's rampage is simply overwhelming. That's why we will prioritize this mission instead." Sitch cut off Metal Bat in an attempt to stop another pointless quarrel.

"Well, that's fine and all, but have you asked where the man could have hidden the lost heroes?" Zombieman said with his cool demeanor contrasting that of the others.

"We've interviewed him. He's stated that he had sent the heroes through a portal in space-time that led to his original world. Yes, basically, we're dealing with an alien right now."

"You're talking about an alien in the sense that someone foreign, right?" Child emperor grinned.

"Y-Yes. Precisely, Child Emperor." Sitch said. He thought that he was probably trying to avoid any misunderstandings in the future, so he should just go along. After all, Child emperor is one of the most trustworthy and cooperative S-class heroes in the whole Hero Association. "However, White Tan alone isn't the main reason why the communications desk is receiving so many calls. After White Tan was incapacitated by the Hero Hunter, people began to seemingly dissipate into thin air. It would appear that not only humans were disappearing, but other mysterious beings and structures as well. Just the other day, the Z-city branch had disappeared out of thin air."

"Oh, then it's safe to say that some of the lost people were transported to the other world, correct?" Puri Puri Prisoner gleefully pointed out.

"Exactly." Sitch responded. "Metal Knight was tasked in studying the behavior of the artifact, and his experiments with it were successful."

At the mention of Metal Knight, Drive Knight's eye gleamed, although it was largely unnoticed by the heroes and the staff.

"Hoh, so Metal Knight was working on it already?" Child Emperor held a confident smile. "Well, it _should_ be a piece of cake for someone like him."

"He has finished the experiments, and showed us the results this morning." The Bearded worker said in a serious tone. "His reports showed that everything that's from the other world would usually dissipate a few minutes after exposure to our world. Apparently, only the user can manage to teleport to and from our world. He managed to manipulate certain elements required for the artifact to operate to designate a 500 meter radius of area as an area of teleportation. He already has the coordinates to teleport you to a safe, temporary base for the mean time."

"500 meter radius- Isn't that a bit too large?" Atomic Samurai said abruptly. The bespectacled worker turned to him and said, "Metal Knight has considered this aspect as well. That's why he also managed to tear open a portal instead of an area of teleportation, since tearing a portal takes much less energy compared to the latter. However, holding a portal is immensely difficult, and he could only do so for an hour."

The bearded worker continued. "Metal Knight has also detected some sort of time dilation between our world and theirs. To be specific, a week inside their world might only be half a day in ours. That would be a great advantage to us."

"Of course, we're not going to force all of you in the operation." Sitch said. "We know the dangers of entering unfamiliar territory and facing unfamiliar opponents. It would be very problematic if something were to arise while our greatest heroes are out. If you wish to concede from the operation, you are welcome."

The room became silent. Only the buzzing sound of the servers and various equipment in the room were heard. Even Pig God's chewing became muffled, although he still ate. Of course, the silence was broken by the Hero Association's most trusted hero.

Although, not in a way they would expect.

"…"

" **Let's go** " the words spoken were cold, and serious; nothing like her previous behavior.

Sitch swallowed. "Please, Tornado, we must take our time while we wait for the oth-"

" **What part of** _ **let's go**_ **do you not understand?** " Gradually, the gravitational force in the room began to reduce. The office stationery, which rested on the tables previously, began to float in midair. Soon, even the superhumans beside the table, no matter their size and weights, levitated.

"T-Tornado?" Darkshine said with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Crap, she's mad now" Atomic Samurai said as he tried to hold the table, which remained stationary due to its build.

The bearded worker, fearing the damage will spread through the newly constructed HA HQ, began to act. "Tornado of terror, please calm down!"

"Shut up!" The woman said with pure rage plastered on her face. "How can I even calm down with **this** news?"

The heroes turned to look at what the midget pointed. The list of names, still displayed in its hologram form, showed a familiar person's profile.

"B-class rank 1… She's Tornado's older- No, younger sister Blizzard of Hell!" Child Emperor thought. "She must have been the trigger of Tornado's sudden rampage"

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?" Metal Bat shouted. "I haven't even decided yet, shrimp. Bring me down or I'm going to beat your head in!"

Tornado sighed as she faced the S-class heroes with immense authority. "If you're going to take the whole day to think, then I'm going to send you to space, got it?" she says before lowering down the heroes. All heroes are aware that their strengths are greater than the average person, from C-class to S-class. As saviors of humanity, of course they would have the strength to face the monstrosities that emerge from the darkest pits of Earth and the human soul. Despite the arrogance of some, they're the only ones who actually stand a chance against them in most cases. However, no matter which rank they are in, or how powerful they think they are, they know that the words of the terrible Tornado should not be taken lightly.

The heroes went silent as they thought of a decision that might risk their very lives, as well as the lives of the entire world, for if they were gone, the monsters would run rampant.

Of course, there was one man who was up for the challenge.

"I'm going!" the man with an immense physique that dominates bodybuilders said with his thumb up. "I don't know what to expect from this other world, but if they would give us a challenge, then that's great!"

Atomic Samurai chuckled. "I would have to say, I've trained with my sword so much that it would be a waste if I don't use my techniques against new foes. Let's go!"

"Uhm, you guys know that we're going to a recovery mission, right?" Child Emperor looked at them both with a rather frustrated expression. "In any case, I'm going. We might be able to get some knowledge of their world as well"

"So we're going to beat up monsters _and_ save the civilians? I'm going to ask my sis about this…" Metal bat clicked his tongue.

"We can't just give up all the cute boys in that other world! We must save them immediately!" Puri Puri Prisoner said as he gripped his fist.

"I'm going." Flashy Flash shrugged as he avoided the gaze of his comrades.

"Sure, I'll join." Pig god said as he continued to munch on his food.

"I'm staying." Watchdog man said as he lay his chin on the desk. "I've got business in the city."

Shicchi wasn't really surprised with the hero's decline. After all, everyone could see the pattern that he doesn't really do any hero activities outside of Q city. Well, if he does, it's incredibly rare.

"I won't be going as well." Drive Knight's mechanical voice rung. "I have business to attend to, and I believe the roster of heroes is enough to take care of the problem."

He wasn't really particularly busy, however. Once he heard that Metal Knight was leading the expedition, Drive Knight knew there was another cause for the engineer to act. If he would go, he would be risking his secret abilities to the doctor.

"Ah… is that so…" a bead of sweat dripped down Sitch's temples. That's two S-class heroes…

Zombieman puffed a cloud of smoke as he lay his feet on the table. "It seems interesting. I might even learn a few things in that world. I'm going."

"That's wonderful." Sitch smiled as his gaze began scanning the table. There was now only one S-class hero who has not given his own reply. The strongest man, King, crossed his arms and gazed at the glowing table, as if in deep, serious thought. After all, the entire operation's success depends on his might.

"Well then, I'm sure even Mr. King is going!" Child Emperor pointed his finger upwards. His statement was filled with confidence and utmost trust on the hero. In fact, it was almost like he was actually acting his age. "It's simple to say that his role in going to such an alien world is incredibly vital. I'd say we'd be the safest when he's there!"

"Hoh, I agree!" Superalloy Darkshine raised his thumb up. "We don't even know what's out there, but with King by our side I'm sure this will be a success!"

The Tornado of Terror patiently waited for the other heroes' responses, but she knew she could do it all alone. However, King's response was the only one she was actually anticipating. After all, he, like her, could defeat the gravest of threats alone.

As such, the great King bundled up his thoughts and came to a thought.

"It can't be helped" King nodded, much to everyone else's appeasement.

"With that settled, I shall collect all the heroes that could help with the operation." Sitch smiled as he began to turn towards the heavy metal doors of the building. "For now, please stay within the building and await further instructions. Thank you"

The heroes now began to move to their own destinations, leaving the room barren… except for one.

The great and mighty King, with bullets of sweat rolling down his face.


End file.
